Figures released by NHS England have shown that the surge in Covid-19 cases in January severely hit key medical services across the country which has impacted cancer and routine surgeries.
The figures indicate that less than half of the anticipated medical procedures went ahead, which subsequently means that the NHS waiting list has risen to 4.6 million – the highest the list has been since records began in August 2007.
The figures also show that:
- Over 300,000 patients have been waiting for their medical treatment/procedure for more than a year, in comparison to 1,600 before the Covid-19 pandemic.
- January saw a 54% drop in people admitted for routine medical treatment due to lockdown restrictions and many NHS Trusts dealing with record numbers of patients with Covid-19.
Vice-President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, Tim Mitchell, commented on the statistics:
“Behind today’s statistics are people waiting in limbo.
“Many will be in considerable pain, others will have restricted mobility and be at risk of isolation and loneliness.
“Dealing with this daunting backlog will take time, and also sustained investment in the NHS.”
However, in more positive news, it is understood that the NHS are now in a much better position to tackle the waiting list backlog as the number of patients being admitted with Covid-19 has drop significantly since January (the weekly average for patients in UK hospitals with Covid-19 is currently 10,483; in January it was 38,428).
The impact of Covid-19 on medical services and patients requiring routine medical procedures
There are significant concerns that patients are being left in pain and unable to continue with day-to-day life, and the long waits is a crisis that could take up to two to three years to get under control. Of course, the increase in long waits for something that should be routine, could also result in additional problems arising due to delayed medical treatment.
The figures make for a concerning read, but as a result of the surge in Covid-19 cases, perhaps doesn’t come as much of a surprise. The impact of the pandemic across the NHS services has been devastating. Clearly, there is a long road ahead for the NHS to get back on track whilst dealing with the on-going battle against Covid-19, and most likely its aftermath too.
It is key that patients continue to seek treatment when they need it, and absolutely vital that the waiting lists are tackled as soon as practicable to avoid further unnecessary and avoidable injury or harm.
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Carolle White is a Senior Associate and Legal Executive in our specialist Medical Negligence team, which has been ranked in tier one by the independently researched publication, The Legal 500.
If you have any questions in relation to the subjects discussed in this article, please get in touch with Carolle or another member of the team in Derby, Leicester or Nottingham on 0800 024 1976 or via our online form.