Tens of thousands of people are waiting for routine treatment at Milton Keynes Hospital, research shows

Almost 40,000 people are waiting for hospital care in MK, research has shown.

NHS figures for February show 37,113 people were awaiting routine treatment at Milton Keynes University Hospital – and many had been waiting for more than 18 weeks.

NHS targets say 92% of patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment, a target that has not been met nationally since 2016.

But the data shows that MK Hospital was nowhere near hitting that target, as only 47% of patients accessed treatment within this period.

And of the 37,113 patients in the long queue for treatment, a staggering 34,143 patients were left waiting less than 11 months – nearly 1 year from time of referral.

In England, NHS waiting lists have reached record highs with 7.22million people waiting to start hospital treatment. This is up from 7.21million in January, and the highest total since records began in 2007.

Leading local councillors are calling for the government to invest more in the NHS to rectify the problem.

Councillor Emily Darlington, Labour Progressive Alliance Cabinet member for Adults, Housing and Healthy Communities, said: “These figures are disappointing but not a shock to anyone who has been waiting months for a referral.

"Our hospital team are working hard but under the Tories it has become common for people to wait almost a year to for treatment. After 13 years of a Conservative Government, the NHS is in crisis, staff are on their knees and patients are waiting longer than ever.

"Despite the Prime Minister’s commitment to reverse the crisis in waiting times caused by his party, the situation is only getting worse. For the sake of NHS staff, patients, and all of us, we can’t go on like this and we need change.”

Lib Dem Progressive Alliance Cabinet Member for Public Health, Councillor Jane Carr, added: “NHS staff work tirelessly around the clock to provide us with the care we need, but up against shortages and lack of funding from the Government they can only do so much.

"The NHS is overstretched and spiralling out of control leaving local people paying the price. When are the Government going to give the NHS the proper investment it so desperately needs?”