NHS Confederation responds to NHS England's 78 week waits data

Responding to NHS England data showing the number of people waiting over 18 months for NHS care has fallen, Rory Deighton director of the NHS Confederation's acute network, said: 

“The NHS has done an amazing job, focusing on long waiters, and delivering at a time of intense pressure for the whole of the NHS. A residual list of around 11,000 people still waiting for care represents massive progress against the target, and leaders will be proud of the efforts of their staff. 

“The 78-week backlog may well have been cleared by now had we not had a challenging winter, flu season, and the added distraction of industrial action. We are particularly concerned about the junior doctors’ strike scheduled for Easter where we estimate that up to 250,000 appointments may be cancelled. We are urging the government and BMA to sit down for meaningful discussions to resolve this.”