The number of patients waiting more than the recommended maximum of 18 weeks to be treated by the NHS has soared by almost half since last year, official data shows.
A total of 28,635 patients in England who were treated in an NHS hospital during August had been waiting more than 18 weeks, compared with 19,355 in the same month in 2010 – a rise of 48%.
The figures, released by the Department of Health, confirm that despite repeated ministerial pledges that the NHS would stick to waiting time targets despite growing financial pressure, the number of people having to wait beyond the department's own recommended maximum time is rising.
Full Article on Guardian Society
No comments:
Post a Comment