Increase in waiting times for surgery on the NHS condemned as ‘unacceptable’

Leading campaign group the Patients’ Association has slammed new statistics which show waiting times for operation for six operations including hip, knee, cataract and hernia surgeries, has increased as “unacceptable”.

Using data from between 2010 and 2013, the organisation found that people were waiting for an average of 87.5 days for their hip operation after a referral from a GP, but by 2013 this had increased to 91.15 days on average.

The latest report on hospital waiting times has prompted calls for action from the Government.

A spokesman for the Patients’ Association said: “The fourth annual report on hospital waiting times for surgical procedures in England, reveals unacceptable waiting times and poor patient experiences.

“The report highlights poor performance in the NHS and negative patient experiences and, once again, shows significant variations in waiting times across England, suggesting a ‘postcode lottery’ when it comes to accessing healthcare.”

Authors of the report noted similar upwards trends for other procedures including knee surgery, with waits rising from 88.9 days to 94.82. The amount of time waiting for a hernia procedure rose from 70 days to 80 in the same three-year period. People on the list for cataract procedures were found to be waiting around five days longer than in 2010.

“Behind the figures are real patients. Delays in surgery result in prolonged suffering, especially older vulnerable people. Every extra day spent waiting for surgery is an extra day of pain and suffering,” the report said.

A spokesman for NHS England said: “We are determined to protect the rights of patients under the NHS constitution. We have allocated £250m towards reducing waiting times for those who are waiting longest.”