Waiting times for operations, tests and cancer treatment at Wigan's hospitals revealed

A health think-tank said while the overall waiting list appears to be stabilising, “the Prime Minister’s pledge to bring the waiting list down will not be met”.

NHS England figures show 54,940 patients were waiting for non-urgent elective operations or treatment at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) at the end of December – down slightly from 55,009 in November, but an increase on 45,592 in December 2022.

Of those, 4,229 (eight per cent) had been waiting for longer than a year.

The median waiting time from referral at an NHS trust to treatment at WWL was 18 weeks at the end of December – up from 17 weeks in November.

Nationally, 7.6m people were waiting to start treatment at the end of December – slightly down from 7.61m in November and the third consecutive fall.

Sarah Scobie, acting director of research at the Nuffield Trust, said: “While 6,000 is only a very small fall, it has been achieved despite industrial action and winter pressures.”

However, she added: “In fact, today’s figures reveal that there are almost 400,000 more outstanding treatments now than when Sunak’s pledge was made last January.

“While the overall waiting list for treatments or operations appears to be stabilising, it is hard to see a route to making faster and more significant progress, with staff already working flat out and under immense pressure.”

Separate figures show 1.6m patients in England were waiting for a key diagnostic test in December – the same as in November.

At WWL, 12,285 patients were waiting for one of 14 standard tests, such as an MRI scan, non-obstetric ultrasound or gastroscopy at this time.

Of them, 4,687 (38 per cent) had been waiting for at least six weeks.

The NHS states 85 per cent of cancer patients with an urgent referral should start treatment within 62 days.

But NHS England data shows just 79 per cent of cancer patients urgently referred to WWL in December began treatment within two months of their referral.

That was down from both 80 per cent in November, and 83 per cent in December 2022.

Prof Pat Price, co-founder of the #CatchUpWithCancer campaign, said the King had demonstrated transparency, leadership and courage in his reaction to his recent diagnosis and has given cancer an increased profile.

He added: “In light of the continuing dire state of cancer performance in our country confirmed again by these figures, we are urging the Government to show similar qualities and adopt a new ‘get it done’ approach.

“If ever there was a time for a serious new priority on cancer, backed by radical action, it must be now.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Cutting waiting lists is one of the Government’s top five priorities and, despite winter pressures and the impact of industrial action, overall NHS waiting lists have decreased for the third month in a row.

“We’re determined to continue improving patient care, having already delivered on our promise to create 5,000 extra permanent hospital beds and 10,000 hospital at home beds, freeing up capacity and cutting waiting times.”