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The King’s Fund and Healthwatch England jointly call for urgent action to address hospital waiting lists and improve patients’ experience of delays to treatment .

New analysis from The King’s Fund shows that people living in the most-deprived areas in England are nearly twice (1.8 times) as likely to experience a wait of more than one year for hospital care than those who live in the least-deprived areas.  

The analysis looks at waiting lists for planned hospital treatment such as knee and hip replacements, cataract surgery and other common procedures.  

It shows that more than 7 per cent of patients on waiting lists in the most-deprived areas of England have been waiting a year or more for treatment compared to around 4 per cent of those in the least-deprived.  

 With a record 5.6 million people across England currently waiting for hospital treatment, the analysis also shows that waiting lists are growing more quickly in more-deprived areas. From April 2020 to July 2021 (latest available data), waiting lists have, on average, grown by 55 per cent in the most-deprived parts of England compared to 36 per cent in the least-deprived areas. 

This trend suggests that people feel safer about coming forward for treatment than during the early waves of the pandemic and are being referred for the care they need. However, the disparities in waiting times uncovered by this analysis are a significant concern on top of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic which hit the most-deprived communities hardest.

A national poll of more than 1,600 British adults currently waiting for planned treatment, or who have a relative who is waiting, suggests people’s experience of delays to treatment can take a toll on their health and wellbeing.    

The poll, commissioned by Healthwatch England, found nearly half (46 per cent) of the respondents, said they or their relatives didn’t receive enough information, or any at all, about when they can expect their treatment. And 48 per cent didn’t receive any support to manage their condition during their wait, while 64 per cent had not been given a contact they could turn to while waiting for treatment.   

It also found:  

• 57 per cent of those whose treatment got delayed agreed that this was taking a toll on the level of pain they faced; 54 per cent agreed that their mental health had been affected; 53 per cent that their ability to carry out household tasks had been affected; and 42 per cent that their ability to work had been affected  
• 18 per cent of respondents have already gone private for treatment or are considering it 
• going private wasn’t an option for 47 per cent of the respondents who had their treatment delayed 
• 57 per cent of the respondents said they or their relatives would be willing to travel to receive treatment if it reduced their waiting time. 20 per cent would be willing to travel as long as the NHS offered support such as accommodation (10 per cent) and transport (10 per cent). 

Siva Anandaciva, Chief Analyst at The King’s Fund said: 

‘Waits for hospital treatment were already rising before Covid-19. But the pandemic has pushed NHS waiting lists to record levels and laid bare the deep health inequalities in England.    

‘It is not a surprise that waits for NHS care vary across England but the fact that patients in deprived areas are nearly twice as likely to wait a year or more for planned treatment should be a wake-up call for a government that has committed to levelling up the country, and ring alarm bells for MPs in ‘red-wall’ constituencies.  

‘The government’s forthcoming plan to tackle the backlog of care must include a strong focus on tackling health inequalities and avoid a one-size-fits-all approach, otherwise there is a real risk that patients from our most-deprived communities will continue to wait the longest for the treatment they need.’ 

Sir Robert Francis, Chair of Healthwatch England, said: 

‘With health care services forced to prioritise critically ill patients throughout the pandemic, it is a reality that people will be waiting longer for hospital treatment for a while.    

‘However, NHS England must manage waiting lists better by reducing the risks and inconvenience to patients caused by delays to care, as part of the national action to reduce the backlog.    

‘People need clear and individualised information from the NHS, such as what the next steps for their treatment or care will be and how long they can expect to wait. They also need to have easy ways to update the NHS about changes in their condition. With more emphasis on interim support, such as physiotherapy, pain relief and mental health support, we can make the experience of waiting more bearable and get people ready for surgery. Managing delays should not be a one-off transaction. People need an ongoing relationship that minimises the risks and stress of waiting. 

‘The extra investment into elective care should be welcomed, but we won’t tackle the backlog overnight. As millions continue to wait for treatment, we can take steps to give people confidence they haven’t been forgotten, which is critical when you’ve been suffering in silence for months.’ 

Healthwatch England has set out recommendations for NHS England based on public feedback it has already received.  

Provide personalised, clear, accurate and consistent communication to people waiting for NHS treatment, consultation and surgery, including where they are on the waiting list. 

• Keep people informed about the next steps for their treatment. 
• Provide a point of contact for people on waiting lists to turn to for advice and support. 
• Put in place interim support, such as physiotherapy, pain relief and mental health support. 
• Put in place a system to better manage waiting lists, with a focus on diagnostics to identify what is wrong and better prioritise urgent treatments. 
• Re-prioritise treatment if people’s needs change.  

To help NHS services improve support for people while they wait for care, Healthwatch England has launched a survey to gather the publics ideas and experiences. To take part visit: smartsurvey.co.uk/s/SQVSJO/  

For further information, or to request an interview, please contact the Press and Public Affairs team on 020 7307 2585 (if calling out of hours, please ring 07584 146035).

The King's Fund is an independent charity working to improve health and care in England. We help to shape policy and practice through research and analysis; develop individuals, teams and organisations; promote understanding of the health and social care system; and bring people together to learn, share knowledge and debate. Our vision is that the best possible health and care is available to all.