NHS patients waiting for care reaches highest level since 2007

The number of NHS patients waiting for treatment has hit its highest level in a decade, health bosses have warned, after the latest figures for NHS England showed the service continues to miss its waiting times targets.

The NHS in England last met its target for A&E waiting times two years ago, the figures show.

In July this year, 90.3 per cent of patients spent four hours or less in A&E, missing NHS England’s 95 per cent target, which was last achieved in July 2015.

Health charity Nuffield Trust said the figures meant “over four million patients” were now likely to be waiting for care – the highest level since the end of 2007.

“These figures show that the NHS continues to be systematically unable to meet its main targets,” said John Appleby, Nuffield Trust’s director of research and chief economist.

“The troublingly high rate of patients being held up leaving hospital is showing little sign of coming back under control, with delayed days at their highest ever level for the month of June.

“This puts the NHS on the back foot as we approach winter, with problems both at the ‘front door’ of A&E departments and at the ‘back door’, as hospitals struggle to send people home or onto further care.”

There were 500,498 emergency admissions in July 2017, which is only the third time since records began that emergency admissions have topped half a million, and the first time July emergency admissions have done so.

Among the missed targets were ambulance waiting times, with just 68.8 per cent of the most serious “Red 1” calls – primarily for patients unable to breathe or without a pulse – arriving within eight minutes. The target of 75 per cent was last met in May 2015.

Less urgent ambulance call out times also fell short of their targets, with 61.8 per cent of “Red 2” calls – including those suffering from strokes or fits – reaching their destination with eight minutes.

Bed blocking was also on the rise, with the number of “delayed transfers of care” rising from 173,122 delayed days in June 2016 to 178,441 a year later.

Similarly, targets for cancer patients to receive first treatment within two months of being referred by their GP were not met, the figures showed.

NHS England also missed its target for 93 per cent of patients with breast cancer symptoms to see a consultant within two weeks of being referred by their family doctor. Six other cancer standards were met, however, including the one month wait time between diagnosis and treatment.

Commenting on breached cancer waiting time targets, Lucy Schonegevel, of Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “Timely access to treatment should be a standard part of anybody’s cancer journey, but sadly these figures show that this isn’t the case for thousands of people each month.

“Waiting to start treatment is often an incredibly difficult time, and should not go on a moment longer than is necessary.

“The Government has made clear that tackling failed cancer waiting time targets is a priority, and we look forward to seeing a marked improvement in performance for the rest of the year.”

NHS England said the health service was facing ever increasing numbers of people requiring urgent and non-urgent treatment, with ambulance call-outs, A&E attendances, tests, consultant appointments and calls to the NHS 111 phone line all up.