The London NHS is claiming that it has reduced the number of people waiting more than 18 months for treatment by 80per cent over the past year.
Quick turnaround: waiting times across London hospitals are being reduced rapidly
“Just one person waiting 18 months for treatment is too many, and I know that waiting is frustrating, but these figures show the enormous effort across the whole of the NHS in London to tackle waiting lists which built up throughout the pandemic,” said Dr Chris Streather, medical director for the NHS in London.
Due to the impact of covid, by August 2021 the number of people in London waiting 18 months or more for planned treatments had grown to 11,500, but a concerted effort by health service staff to care for people as quickly and safely as possible has seen that number fall to just over 2,300.
Across the capital, innovative work is taking place to safely see as many patients as possible for routine procedures and life-saving checks, including for cancer.
Safe care: Dr Chris Streather
The latest statistics show that in August 2022, 38,059 patients were seen across London for cancer checks, 11per cent more (5,412) than the number of similar checks performed pre-pandemic in August 2019.
“The dedication of NHS staff in pioneering new ways to provide safe care, including the use of cutting-edge technology in surgery, means waiting times for appointments and procedures continue to fall as our hospitals continue to work through the covid backlog,” Dr Streather said.
“I encourage anyone who needs care to come forward and get the care they need as soon as possible.”
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