An investigation by BBC News has found that patients across England are facing delays from hidden waiting lists that are not reflected in official figures. While the published waiting list stands at 7.6 million people, the actual backlog is believed to be much higher, as ongoing care patients are not automatically included, even if they experience significant delays. This issue affects those receiving ongoing care, as well as those removed from initial waiting lists before starting treatment. Experts warn that millions could be affected over the course of a year.
BBC News spoke to patients waiting for essential treatment such as cancer care, spinal treatment, and those at risk of going blind. One patient, Andy Allen, 69, from Chelmsford, requires regular eye injections to preserve his vision, but often experiences long gaps between appointments. Macular Society charity chief, Cathy Yelf, called the situation a “tragedy,” stating that people are “terrified at the prospect of losing their sight.” There are over 3 million additional appointments and treatments for patients receiving ongoing care, with many receiving timely treatment, however, how many face delays remains unknown.
There is evidence to suggest that hospitals are not returning patients facing unnecessary delays to waiting lists, which would ensure that they are counted in backlog figures. Only three of 30 NHS trusts asked by BBC News provided figures on how regularly this was happening. Karen Hyde, from Insource, a company helping hospitals to manage waiting lists, said that the guidance was “commonly ignored”. She noted that some patients were removed from waiting lists before treatment started, with many hospitals lacking reliable systems for tracking these patients.
Labour shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting, described the situation as “utterly shocking” and pledged that if elected, Labour would publish the full extent of hidden waiting lists to “level with the public and take necessary action.” Minesh Patel, Macmillan Cancer Support’s policy head, stated that patients receiving ongoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy, as well as those under cancer surveillance, faced delays, while the British Heart Foundation stressed that heart failure patients were particularly at risk. An NHS England spokesperson commented that national guidance highlighted the need to add patients “back on to the waiting list” if regular appointments or treatments became overdue
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