NHS England figures show that the number of patients waiting this time has fallen to just 168, excluding the most complex cases. Staff have been praised for delivering on the NHS’s selective recovery plan, which was published this year to deal with delays built up during the coronavirus pandemic. At the start of the year, more than 22,500 people were waiting two years or more for scans, checks and surgery. Another 51,000 who would have passed the two-year mark by the end of July have also been cured, the data show. At the end of July, three NHS regions had no patients waiting two years or more for regular care, with a further three regions seeing numbers drop to single figures. This excludes more than 2,500 who are complicated cases or chose to delay treatment. Since the plan was published in February, more than 220,000 Covid patients have been treated. A record 6.6 million people are still waiting for hospital treatment, according to the BBC. NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: “It has only been possible because the NHS has continued to reform the way we deliver care, using innovative techniques and adopting breakthrough technology such as robotic surgery and through building new relationships and agreements. mutual aid. across systems to give patients the opportunity to be transferred elsewhere and get the care they need as soon as possible. “The next phase will focus on patients waiting longer than 18 months, building on the fantastic work that has already been done and, while it is a significant challenge, our outstanding staff have shown that, when given the tools and resources we need, The NHS offers our patients.” NHS England’s national director of elective recovery, Sir James Mackey, said: “Achieving this milestone is testament to the hard work of NHS staff across the country, who have faced tens of thousands of the longest waits in the six months since that we started the ambitious recovery plan. “From specialist surgical hubs to increasing the number of procedures carried out each day, to everyday surgeries allowing people to recover in the comfort of their own homes and ensuring that treatment transfers can take place for those patients who are ready to travel, NHS staff are doing everything possible to reduce patients’ long waiting times even further.’ Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: “This is a testament to NHS staff who have worked incredibly hard to get us here, despite significant challenges.” The government’s next agenda is to eliminate 18-month waiting times by April 2023.
