Labour responds to record numbers of people on NHS waiting lists

Jonathan Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, commenting on figures showing a record number of people on NHS waiting lists, said:

“More than five million people on the waiting list means record numbers waiting in pain or distress for treatment.

“We know that hospitals are already under extreme pressure this summer and as Covid cases continue to rise this is only going to get worse. Sajid Javid has failed to put forward a plan to bring infections down, to clear the backlog or to support our NHS in this difficult period, instead he’s proposing a top down reorganisation of our health service when it is under more pressure than ever before.

“Every day frontline NHS staff are forced to spend on this top down reorganisation is a day less tackling these waiting lists and getting patients the care they deserve.“

Ends

Notes to editors:

• As of May 2021 there are 5.3 million people on the waiting list for NHS treatment

• 336,733 people are waiting over 12-months for treatmenthttps://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/rtt-data-2021-22/#May21