Analysis of monthly data releases by NHS England to highlight the huge pressures being placed on an over-burdened healthcare system.
The BMA estimates that, between April 2020 and July 2021, there were:
- 3.79 million fewer elective procedures
- 26.02 million fewer outpatient attendances.
Many elective procedures were cancelled as the second, worse wave of COVID-19 cases and hospitalisations set in, causing further growth in the backlog. The total waiting list (for referrals and surgeries) currently sits at an alarming, record high 5.61 million and continues to grow.
