Time to fix NHS as long waits continue, experts say

At the end of August, the waiting list for hospital treatment stood at 7.64 million – down from the peak of 7.77 million, last year, but higher than earlier in the summer and spring.

Prof Frank Smith, of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said there had been too little progress on tackling long waits, with a target to eliminate those of over 65 weeks, by September, looking “very hard to achieve”.

“If the new government wants to show it is serious about meeting its pledge to cut waiting times, it must provide capital funding for NHS buildings and IT [information technology] in the autumn Budget, later this month,” he said.

“With reports of broken lifts and flooded corridors in hospitals leading to cancelled operations, and surgeons telling us access to operating theatres remains an issue, cutting waits will remain an uphill battle without this investment.”

Siva Anandaciva, of the King’s Fund health think tank, agreed the Budget would be a crucial moment.