Three Million On Nhs England Waiting Lists Have Had No Care Since Gp Referral

Almost half of nan 6 cardinal group needing curen from nan NHS successful England person had nary further attraction astatine each since joining a infirmary waiting list, caller information reveals.

Previously unseen NHS England figures show that 2.99 cardinal of nan 6.23 cardinal patients (48%) awaiting attraction person not had either their first assignment pinch a master aliases a diagnostic trial since being referred by a GP.

The Patients Association described nan business arsenic “an invisible waiting database crisis” that was “staggering” successful scale, pinch millions surviving successful limbo, anxious arsenic their wellness deteriorates.

The information raises doubts astir Keir Starmer’s repeated pledge that 92% of patients will beryllium treated wrong 18 weeks of referral by 2029 – his cardinal committedness to voters connected health. The target has not been deed since 2015, and successful May conscionable 61% were treated connected time.

In a further motion of really difficult it will beryllium to meet that target, nan information shows that a 3rd of nan 3 cardinal unseen patients – 1 cardinal group – person already waited much than 18 weeks without receiving immoderate care.

It is nan first clip nan arena of “unseen patients” has emerged arsenic portion of nan immense situation facing nan authorities successful its thrust to “get nan NHS backmost connected its feet”. Until now statement astir nan NHS backlog has focused connected nan number of treatments patients are owed to person and really galore are waiting – presently 7.36m and 6.23m respectively.

“If accurate, 3 cardinal group are trapped successful an invisible waiting database crisis, stuck without basal diagnostic tests of first appointments while their conditions worsen,” said Rachel Power, nan main executive of nan Patients Association.

“The standard is staggering, arsenic astir half of each patients connected a waiting database haven’t been seen by anyone. That’s not a healthcare service; that’s a breakdown.

“These aren’t conscionable statistics. They’re group checking their phones regular for infirmary calls that ne'er come, incapable to scheme their lives while their symptoms deteriorate.”

The figures person been collated and analysed by nan wellness information master MBI Health, which helps dozens of NHS trusts amended their curen waiting times. It has shared its findings pinch nan Guardian.

Barry Mulholland, nan firm’s laminitis and a erstwhile NHS manager, said nan wellness work should spot nan waiting database arsenic “a frontlog, not a backlog”, because truthful galore group had not had their “first objective contact” aft joining it. In caller years ministers and NHS bosses person made reducing nan number of group waiting 12 aliases 18 months for attraction their priority.

“There are truthful galore group who person already waited truthful agelong without seeing anyone – 3 cardinal unseen patients who haven’t had their first contact.

“Unless that’s dealt with, you will ne'er execute that target of seeing and treating patients wrong 18 weeks.

“From nan government’s constituent of view, nan promise to get backmost to 18 weeks by 2029 will beryllium really difficult to execute if this immense group of patients isn’t seen much quickly.”

“We’ll ne'er clear nan waiting database if we don’t hole nan constituent wherever patients participate nan system, and agelong delays begin,” he added.

Keir Starmer has pledged that 92% of patients will beryllium treated wrong 18 weeks of referral by 2029, and successful May conscionable 61% were treated connected time. Photograph: Toby Melville/PA Media

NHS England acknowledged nan immense number of group who had had nary NHS attraction since joining nan waiting list. Of nan 7.3m treatments patients were waiting for, 4.7m – astir two-thirds (64%) – were for group who had not had a first consultation pinch a master aliases a diagnostic trial yet.

And 1.6m of this 4.7m had already gone beyond nan 18-week expected maximum waiting clip for treatment, it added.

Alison Bennett, a Liberal Democrat wellness spokesperson, said: “These figures are harrowing. Behind each 1 of these numbers is simply a personification successful pain, anxious astir their health, and desperately waiting for their first interaction from a clinician.

“This isn’t a problem that appeared overnight; it’s nan nonstop consequence of nan Conservative statement mismanaging our NHS for years. It is unacceptable that millions of group are still being near successful a authorities of limbo, while their conditions perchance worsen.”

Ministers would only “fix” nan NHS if they overhauled societal attraction to unblock jammed-up hospitals, she added.

MBI’s study besides recovered that nan aesculapian specialities pinch nan largest number of unseen patients were ear, chemoreceptor and pharynx care, orthopaedics, oculus care, gastroenterology and gynaecology. Between 67% and 75% of those waiting lists are made up of specified patients, Mulholland added.

The Department of Health and Social Care did not remark connected nan 3 cardinal unseen patients.

A spokesperson said only that: “Thanks to this government’s grounds investment, reforms and nan difficult activity of NHS staff, we’ve trim nan waiting database by complete 260,000 since July 2024, which besides fell for nan first clip successful 17 years successful April and May extracurricular nan pandemic. On apical of this, we person besides delivered 4.6m appointments – much than double nan 2m we promised.

“This authorities is delivering nan basal betterment needed to move our NHS around, and our 10-year wellness scheme will build connected this progress, to guarantee we meet our target that 92% of patients hold nary longer than 18 weeks for curen by March 2029.”