Hospitals waiting list increases, data shows

THE overall waiting list for routine hospital treatment in England has increased, although the number of patients facing the longest waits has fallen, new NHS data shows.

- STORM NEWTON

Separate figures published by the health service also shows 11,000 more appointments and procedures went ahead during resident doctor strikes last month, when compared to walkouts in 2024.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting will continue discussions with the British Medical Association (BMA) throughout the summer in a bid to avert further industrial action.

The latest performance data from NHS England shows an estimated 7.37 million treatments were waiting to be carried out at the end of June, relating to 6.23 million patients - up from 7.36 million treatments and just under 6.23 million patients at the end of May.

The slight increase comes after the list fell for two consecutive months. However, the proportion of patients facing the longest waits decreased in June.