NHS leaders and their teams have pulled out all the stops to drive down waiting lists

Responding to the government's announcement that NHS waiting lists have reached a near three-year low Rory Deighton, acute and community care director speaking on behalf of the NHS Confederation and NHS Providers, said:

"NHS leaders and their teams have pulled out all the stops to drive down waiting lists to ensure even more patients are being seen and treated. Seeing this echoed in the numbers is a very welcome sign of the progress and improvements they’ve made.

"Despite an arduous winter with record breaking A&E demand, NHS leaders and their teams have gone above and beyond to ensure the health service will hit the government’s key pledge that 65% of patients will not wait more than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by the end of the month

"However, health leaders know well there is still much to do to make further inroads to maintain performance, and as the target increases to 92% three years from now.

"Simply carrying on as before won’t be enough to drive down waiting lists nor is it sustainable and affordable in the long term.  The real challenge is how the NHS can deliver patient care so that more people are seen and treated locally before they become acutely ill, against record demand for services with ever more squeezed finances."