IHPN responds to latest NHS waiting list stats

Responding to the latest NHS performance figures, David Hare, Chief Executive of the Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN), said:

“Today’s figures show NHS waiting lists continue to hit historic highs, with patients forced to wait far too long to get the treatment they need.

“With the billions of pounds of extra funding for the NHS announced in the Chancellor’s Budget, the public will now rightly be expecting to see clear improvements in waiting times for NHS services, with detail set out on exactly how this extra investment will ensure performance targets can once again be met by the end of this Parliament.

“As part of its work to clear this huge backlog of care, the NHS will need to use all the tools in its armoury to improve patient access to care, including the capacity available in the independent sector.  Independent providers have already removed more than one million patients from the waiting list so far in 2024 and are positive they can make an even greater contribution. This includes through investing in much needed new healthcare facilities so that NHS patients can get the care they need at a time when public resources are hugely stretched, as well as ensuring that existing capacity in the sector is fully utilised by the NHS.”