The number of people waiting over 18 months for NHS care in the North West has fallen again despite continued demand for services, new figures show today.

Thanks to the efforts of NHS staff across the region, the number of patients waiting more than 18 months for care has fallen by more than four fifths since the peak.

Latest figures nationally show a total of 20,101 patients were waiting over 18 months for elective treatment as of 19^th March, down from 123,969 in September 2021.  In the North West, 5,672 patients were waiting over 18 months for elective treatment as of 12 March, down from 23,635 in September 2021.

The number of people nationally waiting longer than 62 days since their cancer referral has also reduced significantly with 4,868 fewer people waiting last week (19,027 on 19 March) compared to just one month ago (23,874 on 19 Feb) and 14,923 fewer people since September (33,950 on 19 Sep).  In the North West, the number of people waiting had reduced by 1,437 (on 19 February) from 4,526 in September 2022.

Progress comes despite the significant impact of industrial action with more than 300,000 appointments affected since December – around 175,000 during the three days of junior doctors’ strikes alone.

There is record demand for cancer services, thanks to the success of public awareness campaigns. More people than ever before are getting checked and record numbers are starting cancer treatment, with over nine in 10 patients starting treatment within one month across the country.

Elective waits of over 18 months have been reduced by over two fifths (45%) in England in the last month alone, with over a quarter of acute trusts now having fewer than 10 of the longest waiting patients.

Since February 2022, the NHS in England has treated more than two million patients who would otherwise have become 18-month waiters to get to its current position.

NHS North West regional medical director, Dr Michael Gregory said:  “We’re making progress and have made significant improvements in our waiting list position, which is down to the phenomenal efforts of our NHS teams. There is still a lot of work to do, and recovery within some services is taking longer, as we try to prioritise patients with the most urgent conditions; and as more people are encouraged to come forward.

“It is important that anyone who has symptoms they are concerned about continues to come forward, so that they can be seen, diagnosed and treated as quickly as possible”.

In Cheshire and Merseyside, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has also reduced their longest waits from 1,866 at the end of December to 321 by 12 March – a reduction of over 80%.

Teams at the trust have been working across their three hospital sites to make the best use of theatre, diagnostics and outpatient clinic capacity, including operating at weekends and utilising innovative procedures such as robotic surgery in urology and providing day case joint replacements to reduce recovery time, enabling more procedures to be carried out.

James Sumner, chief executive at LUHFT said: “Our amazing teams have worked relentlessly, despite the challenges faced by the NHS over recent months, to ensure that patients are getting the treatment they need as soon as possible. Reducing these waiting times is testament to the immense efforts, compassion and desire of our teams to provide our patients with the care they need.”

Case studies

• The Set for Surgery programme in Lancashire & South Cumbria is a unique new system that links up GP surgeries and hospitals, giving targeted actions for GPs to work on with their patients before an operation. It helps improve surgical outcomes and means less need for follow-up treatment and further interventions.
• Medical staff at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospital are using new technology to get a detailed picture of each patient’s health condition prior to surgery. Using the software, the trust has been able to identify previously “hidden” patients at high risk of chest infections, then intervene with ‘pre-habilitation’ to avoid complications from surgery. It has helped to reduce the average length of stay by up to three days.
• Stepping Hill Hospital surgical teams are using a new ‘Mini C-arm’ scanner to speed up diagnosing and operating times for patients, using X-rays to produce real time images. The scanner uses less radiation than other scanners, ensuring safer standards of surgery, and around 500 patients a year will benefit.
• Cancer specialists across Cheshire and Merseyside are seeing an extra 2,600 patients a month compared to before the pandemic, thanks to initiatives that speed up waits and appointment times – such as a new nasal endoscope service, and a less invasive away of testing for oesophageal cancer involving the swallowing of a small sponge.