Number of people stuck on waiting lists at Milton Keynes hospital soars by more than 300%

Nationally there are more than 6.6 million people stuck on NHS wait lists – which is the highest that it’s ever been.

This week new analysis by the Progressive Alliance, based on July’s NHS waiting lists data, shows the number of people stuck on the wait list at Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Trust has increased by 318% since 2012.

Across the country, waiting lists in March 2020 were already 66% higher than 2012. The UK went into the pandemic with more than 4 million people waiting for care. Here in Milton Keynes, waiting lists were already 197% higher than 2012.

Today Milton Keynes’ Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors are calling out the government who have continued to blame the wait lists on the pandemic.

Their move comes as a new report from MPs reveals the NHS is facing its worst staffing crisis – putting patient safety at serious risk.

The Citizen reported yesterday (Monday) how an 83-year-old local man was living in constant pain because his hip operation has been cancelled five times in three years at Milton Keynes Hospital.

Councillor Jane Carr, Liberal Democrat Progressive Alliance Cabinet member for Public Health, said: “Waiting lists in Milton Keynes are soaring, and that means – at best - patients are left in pain and in fear for far longer than they should be, and sadly it also means that more and more people are dying whilst waiting for care.

“Our doctors, nurses and hospital staff have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic and they cannot be blamed for this backlog. The government must do more to tackle the wait lists and provide relief for our already-stretched health service, which has been described by the Chief Executive of our hospital as a sinking ship.”

Councillor Emily Darlington, Labour Progressive Alliance Cabinet member for Healthy Communities, said: “Even the Conservative leadership candidates admit that 12 years of Tory rule has left the NHS in crisis, but instead of solving the problem they are fighting amongst themselves.”

She added: “This is backlog Britain, and the truth is the longer the Conservatives are in power the longer patients will wait for care. Change needs to come, and it needs to come now.”