Surgeons: Clarity is needed to avoid winter demands deepening NHS waiting lists

• 7.5 million patients are now on the waiting list for planned hospital treatment in England.
• 20,930 patients waited over 65 weeks for treatment in October 2024.
• Only 58.9% of patients were seen within 18 weeks.

The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) is urging the government to provide more detail on how the NHS in England will meet the 18-week target for waiting times within this parliament, amid growing winter pressures. 

NHS staff are bracing themselves for another difficult few weeks, where increased demand for emergency care often diverts resources away from planned operations. This surge in demand could further delay progress toward reducing long waits, including NHS England’s revised target to eliminate waits of over 65 weeks by December 2024.

The latest NHS performance data, for October 2024, shows the total waiting list for consultant-led hospital treatment in England fell to 7.5 million. With some patients on multiple pathways, according to NHS England, the number of individuals waiting is estimated to be around 6.3 million.   

Commenting on today’s figures, Professor Frank Smith, Vice President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said:

“Winter is always a difficult time for the NHS and hospital leaders are already warning this could be one of the worst the NHS has faced. This will have a knock-on effect for planned operations. 

“While waiting lists are reducing, they are not coming down fast enough to guarantee the government will meet its milestone on the 18-week target within this parliament. We need a clear roadmap, which outlines annual targets for reducing waits of over a year and the total waiting list. The government should also set out the specifics of how extra funding for the NHS announced in the Budget will be used to meet their target.

“Patients cannot afford another winter where the NHS loses ground in its efforts to reduce waiting times. Too many will be left worrying and in pain, potentially facing more complex operations, without more of a plan from the government.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. NHS England’s latest consultant-led referral-to-treatment waiting times data is available here: Statistics » Consultant-led Referral to Treatment Waiting Times Data 2024-25.
2. The Royal College of Surgeons of England provides world-class education, assessment, and development to 30,000 surgeons, dental professionals, and members of the wider surgical and dental care teams at all stages of their careers. Our vision is to see excellent surgical care for everyone. We do this by setting professional standards, facilitating research, and championing the best outcomes for patients.
3. For more information, please contact the Press Office: Telephone: 020 7869 6053/6054/6047; Email: pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk; Out-of-hours media enquiries: 0207 869 6056.