Surgeons: mounting waiting lists mean more patients are living in pain

• Waiting list for planned hospital treatment in England rises to 7,622, 949  
• 302,693 patients were waiting more than a year for treatment in June 2024 
  
Surgeons are calling on the government to address the growing surgical waiting list, tackle the scourge of cancelled operations and fulfil their manifesto pledge to deliver the New Hospital Programme. 
 
The number of unique patients on the waiting list is estimated to be around 6.4 million, according to NHS England. The latest data also reveals that waits of over 65 weeks stood at 58,024 in June 2024, despite commitments to eliminate them entirely by September 2024.  
 
Cancelled operations data has also been published today. Data for April to June 2024 show 19,583 operations cancelled at the last minute due to non-clinical reasons. 4,606 patients also did not have their operation rescheduled within 28 days of the cancellation.  
  
Responding to the latest figures, Professor Peter Friend, Vice President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said:
  
"The current state of waiting lists and the latest data for cancelled operations cannot be ignored. Each delay means another day for a patient living with risk and often in pain.  Each surgical cancellation means another huge disappointment for someone who has prepared themselves for an operation. 

"Delays can lead to deterioration for patients, which may result in more risk, more complexity and higher cost to the NHS. 

"The decision to pause the New Hospital Programme offers an opportunity to ensure the right plans are in place, but we urge the government to be swift in its review. The NHS desperately needs capital investment in the right places, to tackle the maintenance backlog, and increase surgical capacity: this includes more surgical hubs. We need this if we’re to avoid hundreds of thousands of patients continuing to live in pain on waiting lists."
  
ENDS  
  
Notes to editors:  
  
1. NHS England’s latest consultant-led referral to treatment waiting times data is available here: 
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/rtt-data-2023-  24/   
2. RCS England’s election manifesto, “Surgical solutions for the next UK Government”, is available to read here: 
https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/about-the-rcs/about-our-mission/surgical-solutions-manifesto-2024/    
3. More than half (56%) of the UK surgical workforce find that operating theatre access is a major challenge.  Further details available in RCS England’s 2023 surgical workforce census available here: https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/news-and-events/media-centre/press-releases/surgical-workforce-census-2023/      
4. 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.     
5. For more information, please contact the RCS England press office: telephone: 020 7869 6054/6053; email: pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk; out-of-hours media enquiries: 0207 869 6056.