Worcestershire's long waiting list for hospital treatment grows again

A further 813 people were waiting for treatment at Worcestershire’s hospitals in July, according to the latest NHS figures, rising from 52,527 to 53,340.

As many as 5,761 people have been waiting more than a year for treatment – up by 10 per cent compared to the same month last year – and 114 people have now been waiting more than two years.

A total of 1,705 people have been waiting for 18 months or more for treatment in Worcestershire according to the figures.

The number of patients in the care of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester and Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, waiting more than 18 weeks for treatment increased from 24,063 in June to 24,797 in July.

According to the figures, 54 per cent of people were seen within 18 weeks – way short of the 92 per cent target set by the NHS and below the 69 per cent average for England.

Showing some signs of progress, the average wait for treatment in Worcestershire fell slightly from 16.2 weeks in June to 15.9 weeks in July.

The number of people waiting less than 18 weeks for routine treatment – which is the target set by the NHS – stayed at 54 per cent in July, the same as in June and up from 50 per cent in July 2020 but down from 70 per cent in April that year.

By the end of July, a total of 28,543 people had been treated at hospitals in Worcestershire within 18 weeks.

The waiting list in Worcestershire has almost doubled by in the last 12 months from just over 36,317 in July 2020 to 53,340 in July this year.

Of those waiting for treatment in Worcestershire, 5,411 people are waiting for urology treatment - such as kidney and bladder disorders - and 5,556 people are waiting for ear, nose and throat treatment.

A total of 5,346 in Worcestershire are waiting for eye treatment, 3,920 people are waiting for trauma and orthopaedic treatment and a total of 3,235 people are waiting for oral surgery.