9.5 million people in England are currently waiting on the NHS for treatment

Facts4EU.Org blows the lid off the idea we have a functioning health service

Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2024

Latest official data from NHS England presents unacceptable picture for world’s 6th economy

On Wednesday (03 Apr 2024) the Office for National Statistics published its latest data on waiting times for NHS England and on the ability for people to get to see their GP. The overall picture is extremely unhealthy and would not look out of place in the Third World.

A Brexit Facts4EU.Org Series on the NHS

Part I – 9.5 million people in England are currently waiting on the NHS for treatment (This report)
Part II - Where are the hundreds of billions of pounds spent on the NHS going?

We have interrogated the data in detail and bring readers a summary of just how bad things are. Because of devolution, we are only able to show the figures for NHS England, as the devolved administrations report at different times and use different criteria.

However, just the picture in England alone is a disaster.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

Patients’ experience of the NHS and GP’s surgeries, 2024

1. Wait times for hospital appointment, test, or to start receiving medical treatment

As at 15 Feb 2024

Total adults waiting : 9,476,027
Waiting more than one month : 6,574,513
Waiting 12 months or longer : 1,353,269

Of that total : 1.35 million adults have been waiting more than 12 months

[Source: NHS England, Apr 2024.]

2. Experience of patients when trying to see their GP

Very easy : 3,747,690
Easy : 5,084,808
Neither easy nor difficult : 3,394,797
Difficult : 3,323,661
Very difficult : 2,163,341

A total of 5.5 million adults found it "difficult or very difficult" to see their GP.

These are not even the exact figures

The simple fact is that NHS England cannot provide exact numbers because it doesn’t know them.

The above figures are extrapolations of surveyed data which then use algorithms to determine the weighted numbers in each category, according to population size. There is naturally a margin of error but we have used the median figures in each case.

People are no longer standing on their doorsteps banging their saucepans in appreciation

When the COVID-19 pandemic first became public knowledge, readers will recall the mass hysteria which greeted it. Readers will also recall the sight of people coming out on their doorsteps every Thursday, banging pots and pans in their appreciation of “our NHS”, which we were all told to protect.

We found this odd, because we thought the NHS was there to protect us, not the other way around.

The Facts4EU.Org team became unpopular at this point because we were deeply troubled by the mass hysteria in the absence of real facts, and by what we saw as a totalitarian regime response which brooked no questioning at all. The effect on civil liberties was the most extreme since the Second World War and the effects are being felt to this day.

Observations

It doesn’t seem to matter how much public money is thrown at the NHS, the service continues to fall far short of that expected of the sixth-largest economy on the planet.

Millions are on the waiting list for essential treatment and more millions can’t get to see their GP.

Across the Channel in France, people can get MRIs and scans within a few weeks, and seeing a GP or consultant is generally not a problem. GPs even come to the house for those who struggle to get out. People with serious conditions such as cancer or heart disease have nurses coming to the house three times a day.

It’s now clear that a root and branch reform is necessary of ‘our NHS’. Gone are the days when nurses used to be able to go to their local supermarket and not even be charged for their groceries if they were in uniform.

The mass hysteria has gone, the hard facts of life are surely now coming home to matron.

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[ Sources: NHS England ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Tues 09 Apr 2024

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Reader Comments 10

1. Sparky , Tuesday, April 09, 2024, 06:02:

The NHS is under pressure for so many reasons, underfunding since 2010, COVID recovery, current strikes etc. An aging population is a significant pressure, in 1960 life expectancy was 69 and of the 52 million population 6.2 million were over 65. In 2024 life expectancy is 82 and of the 68 million population 12.2 million are over 65. Of the 16 million increase in population since 1960, 6 million has been due to an increase in life expectancy. This alone has resulted in significant additional demand for NHS treatments and additional pressure on the care sector. The UK spends less on health than other G7 countries but it is not just about expenditure its how that money is spent.
.
How has Brexit impacted on the NHS, apart from being used as a driver, along with immigration, for voting Leave. A high number of EU workers in the NHS and care sector went home after Brexit, more than 4,200 in 2022 and have not returned. One of the key reasons for the massive increase in non EU immigration since leaving the EU has been people on work visas and this has been mainly health and care work visas. (see ONS data)

2. Have You Wondered , Tuesday, April 09, 2024, 06:48:

1. Sparky - A read of the European press shows the EU is not to far behind. (Brexit?)
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Medical headlines from the sunlit uplands of the EU.
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Staff shortages: Belgium, like many other EU countries, struggles with a medical staff shortage. A recent report by Eurostat found the country had the second-lowest proportion of physicians in the EU in 2021 (324.8 for every 100,000 inhabitants), behind only France. (UK = circa 310)
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article dont get sick greece islands tourists critically short doctors medical system deaths
"Greece’s.... their medical system is cracking. "
" who have died all over the country due to lack of medical transportation. "
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there is a major concern about drug shortages says belgian health minister
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belgium records higher rate of medical mistakes during hospital stays.
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335233 save europes health care systems from collapse epsu urges
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485631 knee operations for patients over 50 to be limited in belgium
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article who serious concern over belgiums high rates of out of pocket health spending
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565712 dying in silence summer staff shortages push belgian hospitals to the brink
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article france doctors europe too far too old too few
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belgium 332302 gps push for an end to the sick bill
"...shortage of GPs will only get worse in the coming years."
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europa eu doceo document E 9 2020 000653 EN
"Shortage of nursing staff in EU health systems"
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epsu article epsu analysis confirmed europe has severe shortage health care professionals.
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Brexit?

3. Andy , Tuesday, April 09, 2024, 07:27:

I live in Greece on a small island; we don’t have extensive medical services. That said I have just had a blood test - this that and the other and it cost 80 Euros. I will go see my Cardiologist and that will be 60 Euros.
The problem with the NHS is blindly obvious: it’s run by the State and as such is set up and organised in the interests of the staff. There is no reason why the State should own and badly run every hospital in the land - it didn’t use to before that fool Bevan. More private enterprise is needed and that will hand power back to where it belongs: with the patients.

4. Sparky , Tuesday, April 09, 2024, 08:21:

2 HYW. in 2016 immigration was used as the reason for pressure on the UK health service but an aging population (the majority of whom voted for Brexit) are the reason for the increased pressure on UK health and care system. However the UK health and care system has been a big driver of the record immigration. Bit ironic that the older generation that voted for Brexit because of immigration are being cared for by immigrants.
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3 A. To some extent I agree, the NHS being free at source has created an attitude that the NHS will fix people's health instead of individuals looking after their own health but privatisation will not solve the issue. The NHS and Govt has been lacking on strategic thinking, the aging population and increased longevity should have been predicted and planned for.
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Bit like Brexit when it comes to strategy, there wasn't any, just slogans.

5. NH , Tuesday, April 09, 2024, 09:31:

1. Sparky, "A high number of EU workers in the NHS and care sector went home after Brexit"
I am not sure what figures you are looking at. The Government figures shown that the number of EU employees in the NHS from the Brexit vote to 2023 increased by 34.2% !
.
4. Sparky, "an aging population (the majority of whom voted for Brexit)"
Are you saying that if they had not voted for Brexit this would not have effected the NHS and they would be receiving perfect health service now ? Since Brexit the NHS budget has increased hugely and the number of employees since the Brexit vote has increased by approximately 280,000.
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Are you are claiming that if the UK reduced it's NHS spending by £35+ Billion per year and sent this to EU countries it would improve the NHS ? The NHS has big problems but the EU is definitely not the answer.
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4. Sparky, "Bit ironic that the older generation that voted for Brexit because of immigration are being cared for by immigrants"
The UK tax payer is paying all staff including immigrants to provide health services. What is ironic about people who requested to work in the NHS providing the service they are being paid for ? As stated previously the number of NHS staff increased substantially after the Brexit vote.

6. Sparky , Tuesday, April 09, 2024, 12:06:

5 NH. 1. Nuffield Trust. (Don’t tell me! They are all remainers). 4 The Govt has increased number of nurses as 2019 Manifesto but they achieved this by allowing record levels of immigration. Do you still believe that immigration wasn’t a deciding factor in the Leave vote (see YouGov tracker on issues)

7. Gazzablack , Tuesday, April 09, 2024, 13:47:

4, Sparkless
.
As a remainer it is beyond your competence to discern the "deciding factor" for leave voters.
Perhaps you should refrain from pretending you do.

8. NH , Tuesday, April 09, 2024, 14:52:

6. Sparky, "A high number of EU workers in the NHS and care sector went home after Brexit"
The statement you made above is completely incorrect. According to the official Government figures the number of EU employees in the NHS from 2016 to 2023 increased by 34.1%. It seems they prefer to be in Brexit Britain rather than the EU. Why would you believe the figures from the Nuffield Trust (a charity) are more accurate than the Governments own figures ?
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6. Sparky, "Do you still believe that immigration wasn’t a deciding factor in the Leave vote"
I don't know what each member of the electorate thinks. You seem to be the only person that believes you have mind reading skills !
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1. Sparky, "The UK spends less on health than other G7 countries"
This is very misleading because different countries have different means of funding healthcare. When it comes to public funded healthcare the UK is one of the highest spenders of all OECD countries. Most countries fund a substantial part of their healthcare via compulsory health insurance schemes so everybody has to pay a fair share. Unfortunately in the UK a small proportion of the population pay the majority of the cost and too many people pay nothing or very little.
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The UK has had a big increase in healthcare spending in recent years hence I am not sure if G7 comparisons are up to date as it usually takes a long time to collect the data. It's important to compare like for like, USA health spending is much higher than other countries but this is partly because they are a very litigious society often resulting in huge compensation payments. Much of their spending goes to insure against this, unfortunately you don't get anything for nothing.

9. Adam Hiley , Tuesday, April 09, 2024, 15:40:

The NHS is known for incompetence Governments of both useless parties are to blame for siphoning vast amounts of money to it the Health Department should if it had any backbone would oversee where the money goes it should be on Frontline Services not Diversity Inclusion Officer's Labour and Conservative parties are already lying to the British People on what they will do if elected to Government as soon as Sir Sneer Starmer Cons his way into Government He will continue what His mentor Blair started back in the late 90s the Conservatives must throw out Sunak who was a dreadful Chancellor and is a worse Prime Minister He has no mandate from the British People to be in office

10. Captain Thunderbolt , Tuesday, April 09, 2024, 19:47:

9. Adam
Whilst I agree voting intentions do come down to personalities of the prime minister,but the electorate does not vote for the Prime Minister the party does. The Prime Minister does not need a mandate to be prime minister
.
If you want that type of system you need to go to a presidential system like the USA

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