NHS waiting lists could continue to climb for another two years, Sajid Javid suggests

Around 6 million people in England are currently waiting for treatment, and this number is set to rise further, Sajid Javid warned, before starting to decrease by Spring 2024.

The health service aimes to “eliminate” waits of over 18 months by next March, and 65 weeks by the following year.

Speaking in the House of Commons this afternoon, Mr Javid said: “Assuming half of the missing demand from the pandemic returns over the next three years, the NHS expect waiting lists to be reducing by March 2024.

“Addressing long waits is critical to the recovery of elective care and we will be actively offering longer waiting patients greater choice about their care to help bring these numbers down.

“The plan sets the ambition of eliminating waits of longer than a year, waits in elective care, by March 2025.

“With this no-one will wait longer than two years by July this year and the NHS aims to eliminate the waits of over 18 months by April 2023 and over 65 weeks by March 2024.”

Mr Javid said an estimated 10 million people are thought to have stayed away from the NHS during the pandemic and, despite the NHS’s “exceptional efforts”, there “is now a considerable Covid backlog of elective care”.

He added: “1,600 people have waited longer than a year for care before the pandemic. The latest data shows that this figure is now over 300,000.

“On top of this, the number of people waiting for elective care in England now stands at six million – that is up from 4.4 million before the pandemic.

“Sadly, this number will continue rising before it falls… I want these people to know that the NHS is open. I want them to come forward for the care they need.”