NHS waiting list rises above worst-case scenario

The NHS crisis continues, with a set of data today showing that the extra cash invested by the Tories is not translating into progress. Those waiting 52 weeks for an operation climbed 5 per cent to 323,000. This is worse than the NHS worst-case scenario leaked to The Spectator and published on our NHS data hub. Here are some of the main points from today’s data release.

1. Those waiting more than a year for NHS hospital treatment rose by a further 17,000 to 323,000 – 5 per cent of all patients. This is already 50,000 above what had been expected had Omicron turned out to be mild (as was the case). The total number of people waiting for hospital treatment for any length of time reached 6.5 million – up 124,000 in a month in line with forecasts and on course for 9 million by the general election. Something that worries Tories seeking re-election.