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Tens of thousands of patients have been left waiting for routine treatment at Milton Keynes University Hospital, according to new figures from NHS England.

NHS England figures show 32,318 patients were waiting for non-urgent elective operations or treatment at Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust at the end of August - down from 36,034 in July, and 38,724 in August 2023.

Of those, 3,699, or 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 August - up from 24 weeks in July.

Tens of thousands of patients were waiting for routine operations at Milton Keynes University Hospital in August, according to new figures

Nationally, 7.6 million treatments were waiting to start at the end of August - a slight increase on July and the highest since October 2023.

Separate figures show 1.6 million patients in England were waiting for a key diagnostic test in August - the same as in July.

At Milton Keynes University Hospital, 13,892 patients were waiting for one of 12 standard tests, such as an MRI scan, non-obstetric ultrasound or gastroscopy at this time.

Of them, 6,882, or 50%, 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 56% of cancer patients urgently referred to Milton Keynes University Hospital in August began treatment within two months of their referral.

That was up from 51% in July, but down from 68% in August 2023.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, the NHS’s national medical director, said the NHS has now set out its winter plan, which includes better data reporting and more care in the community, to help patients be seen as quickly as possible.

Minister of State for Health Karin Smyth said: "This Government is working at pace to radically reform the NHS through the 10-Year Health Plan, focusing on three big shifts from analogue to digital, sickness to prevention, and hospital to community, so the NHS can be there for us when we need it, once again."

Tens of thousands of patients left waiting for routine treatment at Milton Keynes University Hospital