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Aug 2022
Backlog of longest waiting patients in England slashed
According to the latest NHS figures, the number of people waiting longer than two years for routine operations in England has dropped from22,500 at the start of the year, to less than 200.
This doesn’t include around 2,500 who are complex cases or chose not to travel for speedier treatment.
NHS England said it had achieved the first milestone in its plan to eliminate the backlogs caused by Covid.
However, health experts say there is still a mountain to climb to reduce the number, which is currently around 400,000, waiting for longer than a year. Further, winter is likely to bring more delays and pressure.
Eliminating 18 month waits, currently affecting around 50,000, by April 2023 is net on the government’s agenda.
Nigel Edwards of The Nuffield Trust independent think tank, said “This is a good achievement – but like getting to base camp, there’s quite a mountain to climb in terms of people waiting over a year, and over 78 weeks, which are significantly bigger numbers than the figure for two year waits.”
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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.
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