NHS waiting lists have bulged to a new all-time high of 6.1 million people – with cancer delays now the worst on record.
Official data reveals nearly 24,000 people in England were waiting more than two years to start hospital treatment in January.
Such long delays were non-existent until the pandemic, with health bosses now pledging to eliminate them by July.
NHS data shows in January, just 75 per cent of suspected cancer cases saw a specialist within two weeks – against a target of 93 per cent.
Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, said: “Performance against targets has again hit a record low.
“More people than ever before are facing unacceptably long waits for vital cancer tests and treatment.”
The NHS data shows the time sick Brits spent waiting for a 999 response has risen.
The average time to deal with the most urgent life-threatening calls – such as heart attacks – was eight minutes and 51 seconds, compared to a seven-minute target.
While less urgent calls, such as burns and strokes, took longer than 38 minutes to get a response, more than double the 18-minute target.
The NHS also continues to miss a raft of targets relating to A&E and key diagnostic tests.
Nuffield Trust Deputy Director of Research Sarah Scobie said the data makes “sobering reading”.
She said: “Behind all of these figures are thousands of individual stories of pain and suffering, set against a backdrop of burnt out and overworked healthcare staff.”
NHS national medical director, Professor Stephen Powis, said: “Despite ongoing pressures our hardworking NHS staff delivered 280,000 more tests and checks for patients in January compared to the same time last year, and almost 1.24 million started consultant-led treatment, as more people continue to come forward for care who may have been reluctant to seek help during the pandemic.”
