Hospital treatments failing to meet demand, say experts
In the last month, the NHS waiting list in England has seen a modest rise, with experts warning that hospitals are not treating enough patients to keep up with demand. The list stood at 7.77 million at the end of June, an increase of around 102,000 from May. Despite this, the figure is down from its peak of 7.78 million last year.
According to internal documents seen by the BBC, one factor affecting the total is that patients are being removed from the list without being treated. Patients can be removed legitimately, for example, if they opt for private treatment or have recovered, but experts say the NHS is struggling to keep up with new referrals. The government stated it is working to ensure all patients who need treatment receive it as soon as possible.
For several years, the NHS has been urged to remove patients who no longer need to be on the waiting list – a process officials refer to as 'validation'. This process is intended to make services more efficient by ensuring hospitals are not chasing patients who no longer require treatment.
Unreported Removals
Internal reports showed that between March and April, the waiting list was reduced by 100,000 patients through this validation process. Without these removals, the list would have increased. The Nuffield Trust think tank suggests the actual number of people removed could have been even higher, with its analysis showing an average of more than 200,000 such removals a month over the past two years.
The think tank also warned that administrative errors could result in some patients being automatically removed by mistake, leaving them without the care they need and causing them to disappear from the official figures. đ
"It would be straightforward to say that recent decreases in the waiting list are due to the NHS treating a greater number of patients each month," said Dr Becks Fisher of the Nuffield Trust, "but our analysis shows that presenting progress in this way is a mirage."
She added: "The NHS is actually treating fewer patients than are being referred. While this waiting list validation exercise is certainly the right thing to do in some cases, greater transparency and understanding of what is happening behind the scenes are required."
The government claimed that validation removals were only a minor factor in managing the list, emphasising that the NHS was still treating a high number of patients. A spokesperson said that screening the waiting list is a vital part of improving efficiency.
"Our goal to eliminate the long waiting list we inherited includes making sure all patients are getting the right treatment as soon as possible," a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said.
