The number of people on NHS waiting lists in England has increased by almost nine hundred thousand since the onset of the pandemic, with orthopaedics seeing the largest increase.
The data from the new NHS waiting list tracker reveals the total number on waiting lists has increased by 21% to 5.1 million, with an additional 886,000 since the pandemic began, including 146,000 added to orthopaedic waiting lists.
Somewhat encouragingly the number of people waiting more than 52 weeks declined by 12% from March 2021 to April 2021, but that still left 385,000 people who had been on hold for more than a year.
However, analysis from consultant Lane Clark and Peacock’s health analytics team has also uncovered regional inequalities among clinical commission groups (CCGs), with around double the number of people on waiting lists per 100,000 in Castle Point than in Central London.
While 9,221 people are on a waiting list in West Lancashire CCG, the number is around 20 times higher in North East London, and Birmingham and Solihull CCG at 180,095 and 164,547 respectively.
Orthopaedics backlog
Looking at orthopaedics, there are nearly 70 times more people waiting more than 52 weeks for treatment in CCGs such as Norfolk and Waveney, and Devon compared to North East Lincolnshire and Blackburn with Darwen.
The top performers were South West London, Surrey Heartlands, and North East Lincolnshire CCGs with the lowest waiting list times, compared to Castle Point, Southend, Norfolk and Blackpool which had the highest waiting list numbers per 100,000.
Almost a quarter of people on the orthopaedics waiting list in Norfolk and Waveney, North Cumbria and Blackpool had been waiting more than 52 weeks compared with around one in 40 in west London.
Commenting on the data, Dr Jonathan Pearson-Stuttard, said: “The number of patients waiting over 52 weeks for Orthopaedic services across England is extremely worrying.
“We know that for many of these conditions, longer waiting times is associated with poorer long-term outcomes. Without urgent action targeting areas with the highest unmet need, we risk a generation of patients living in poorer health.”
LCP also noted that 14 out of 19 specialties had experienced an increase in waiting list size, but the difference between specialties was stark.
The gynaecology waiting list had experienced the largest percentage growth, rising by 38%, while dermatology waiting lists increased by just 2%.
Extra funding
Acknowledging the strain the NHS has been under over the last year, the government has earmarked further funding for some areas.
Responding to a written question from Labour MP for Jarrow Kate Osbourne about what steps were being taken to tackle backlogs in cancer diagnosis, treatment, and care, health and social care minister Jo Churchill said cancer was a priority.
“As well as a £325m investment in NHS diagnostic machines, with plans to increase endoscopy and computerised tomography capacity, we have provided an additional £1bn to tackle the elective backlog,” she said.
“This will ensure there is sufficient capacity in place to diagnose and treat the additional people coming into the system and reduce the number of people waiting over 62 days on cancer pathways with a focus for those who have had their care delayed.”