Milton Keynes University Hospital: all the key numbers for NHS Trust in November

Tens of thousands of patients were waiting for routine treatment at Milton Keynes University Hospital in November, figures show.

A health think tank warned January strikes would further add to the pressure faced by the NHS during the winter period.

NHS England figures show 36,750 patients were waiting for non-urgent elective operations or treatment at Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust at the end of November – down from 37,924 in October, and 38,956 in November 2022.

Of those, 4,105 (11%) had been waiting for longer than a year.

The median waiting time from referral at an NHS Trust to treatment at Milton Keynes University Hospital was 25 weeks at the end of November – the same as in October.

Nationally, 7.6 million people were waiting to start treatment at the end of November – down from 7.7 million in October and the second consecutive fall.

Sarah Scobie, acting director of research at the Nuffield Trust, said: “The fact that NHS staff have been able to increase the number of patients they have been able to treat, coupled with a slowdown in people joining the waiting list, has helped move things in the right direction.

“It is also a positive sign to see a reduction in the number of patients who have been left waiting for 65 weeks or more. However, given where we are now, and the challenges of winter, it remains unlikely the NHS will meet the target it set itself to eliminate waits of this length by March this year.”

However, she warned the latest junior doctors’ strike “will have only added to winter pressure”.

Separate figures show 1.6 million patients in England were waiting for a key diagnostic test in November – the same as in October.

At Milton Keynes University Hospital, 9,878 patients were waiting for one of 12 standard tests, such as an MRI scan, non-obstetric ultrasound or gastroscopy at this time.

Of them, 3,609 (37%) had been waiting for at least six weeks.

Other figures show cancer patients at Milton Keynes University Hospital are not being seen quickly enough.

The NHS states 85% of cancer patients with an urgent referral should start treatment within 62 days.

But NHS England data shows just 64% of cancer patients urgently referred to Milton Keynes University Hospital in November began treatment within two months of their referral.

That was down from both 65% in October, and 72% in November 2022.

Professor Pat Price, co-founder of the #CatchUpWithCancer campaign, said: “Sadly, these figures are an ominous opening to what looks to be another deeply worrying year for both cancer patients and the frontline staff who are battling against the odds to care for them.”

He added: “These new figures reinforce a picture of years of abject failure and cancer treatment delays.”

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Undoubtedly the strikes are having a significant impact on patient care, it forces those staff – the majority of staff who are not striking – to have to cover for junior doctors and that has a knock-on effect on patients.”