Wes Streeting responds to new figures revealing record NHS waiting lists

Wes Streeting MP, Labour's Shadow Health and Social Care Secretary, responding to new figures from NHS England published today revealing that a record 6.2 million patients are on NHS waiting lists and ambulance response times for heart attack and stroke patients have reached a new high, said:

"Taxes are rising and so are waiting lists. Record numbers are forced to wait longer than ever before, and horrifying reports of heart attack and stroke victims waiting hours in agony for an ambulance to arrive are now borne out by these figures.

“With the Tories now hitting people with unfair tax rises during a cost-of-living crisis, patients are paying more and getting less. Boris Johnson and the Conservatives are incapable of the leadership necessary to sort this out.

“Britain deserves better. Labour will secure the future of our NHS by providing the staff, equipment, and modern technology needed to treat patients on time.”

Ends

Notes to editors:

• 6,183,203 people are on NHS waiting lists in England as of February 2022, the highest ever figure.
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• 23,281 of whom have been waiting for more than two years, since before February 2020.
  

  Consultant-led Referral to Treatment Waiting Times Data 2021-22 - NHS England

• Category 2 ambulance response times reached a record high (since the beginning of recording in 2017) of 1:01:03 for March 2022.
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  Ambulance Quality Indicators Data 2021-22 - NHS England