NHS care backlog soars to record high of 6.2 million

High Covid rates have placed increased demand on the health service

- REBECCA THOMAS

The number of NHS patients in England waiting to start routine hospital treatment has risen to 6.2 million - the highest number since records began 15 years ago.

Waits at A&E and for ambulances soared to new highs as the health service battled high Covid rates and staff absences. The latest NHS figures show 23,281 patients were waiting more than two years for an operation, down by almost 500 on the previous month - but about nine times the number who had been waiting this long in April of last year.

The March data, published yesterday, showed that 22,506 people had to wait more than 12 hours in England's A&E departments. This is up from 16,404 in February and is a record high. A&E attendances were almost 30 per cent higher compared to March last year, and the number of people being seen within four hours in emergency departments has hit an all time low of 71.6 per cent. The NHS target is to have at least 95 per cent of patients seen within four hours.