The King’s Fund comments on new data from NHS England showing health inequalities on the waiting list

Commenting on new data from NHS England that shows waiting list information broken down by sex, age, ethnicity and index of multiple deprivation, Siva Anandaciva, Director of Policy, Partnerships and Events at The King’s Fund, said: 

‘Health inequalities have plagued the NHS in England for decades. The government has made waiting lists for planned hospital care its key NHS ‘milestone’ for this parliament, but today’s figures show that unless the NHS takes a more inclusive approach to tackling long waiting lists some parts of the country or population will be left behind. The King’s Fund has called for greater transparency over inequalities in hospital waiting times, and we strongly welcome this new dataset that provides greater clarity and openness on how long different groups of the population are waiting for care. 

‘The data confirms that people living in the most deprived areas in England are more likely to have long waits for planned hospital care than people from less deprived areas, with 59% of people being seen within 18 weeks in the most deprived areas compared to 61% in the least deprived areas. Additionally, the total waiting list for planned hospital care is higher in more deprived areas, with 742,000 in the most deprived areas compared to 624,000 in the least deprived areas.  

‘While there is often a focus on the pressures an increasingly aging population can place on the NHS, patients over the age of 65 are the least likely to be waiting over a year to be seen. And it will be deeply worrying for the government’s economic growth agenda that such a large share of people on hospital waiting lists, and those waiting over a year for care, are working-age adults (19–64 year olds).  

‘Following the first wave of Covid-19, the NHS was asked to bring down waiting lists for care in a more inclusive way than ever before – to ensure that the existing health inequalities that have beleaguered services were not worsened. But progress has been mixed at best – some NHS organisations have made progress in understanding the unequal experiences of people waiting for routine care, but others are much further behind. This boils down to a range of reasons, including a lack of local analytical resources, the need to better engage clinicians and other staff in the rationale for new approaches, and NHS organisations not being held to account for this work. 

‘Government and national health leaders have a huge role to play in providing a clear vision for why inclusive recovery is important for delivering fairer services for patients and better care for the whole population of England. The government’s 10 Year Plan for Health does not say enough on how the government plans to reduce health inequalities – in fact, the last paragraph of the prevention chapter in the plan says that by the end of 10 years this plan will only have begun narrowing health inequalities. This is simply not ambitious enough. It is crucial that we see further and faster ambition in the months that come to narrow these avoidable differences in experiences of the NHS. Addressing persistent inequalities in the English health service is ultimately good for patients, good for communities and good for the NHS.’ 

Notes to editors

1. The King’s Fund published a report that examines what local NHS trusts and integrated care boards are doing to address inequalities on waiting lists.

For further information, please contact The King's Fund media team on 020 7307 2585 or [email protected].

The King's Fund is an independent charity working to improve people's health. Our vision is a world where everyone can live a healthy life. Our mission is to inspire hope and build confidence for positive change. We achieve this through expert insights and original research, developing leaders and their organisations, convening, and strategic, collaborative partnerships.