It’s no secret that the NHS has been struggling in recent years. With millions finding themselves on waiting lists for consultations and treatment, the backlog has left many people living in a state of uncertainty.
Being on an NHS waiting list may also impact your travel insurance, potentially leaving you without cover for the very condition you’re waiting to be treated for. It could also leave you tens of thousands of pounds worse off if you travel without considering the implications of insufficient travel insurance cover.
NHS waiting lists: Let’s look at the numbers
Whilst the NHS report states that there are 6.4 million people waiting for NHS treatment in England (as of June 2024), others report the number could be as high as 9.7 million. This is allegedly the highest number since records began for the NHS in England since 2007.
As of August 2024, NHS waiting lists have continued to grow for the third month in a row. There are somewhat signs of progress, as patients waiting over 18 months for routine treatment drops significantly from 4,597 to 2,621.
Most news reports tend to focus on NHS England’s waiting lists. But does this mean it’s only an issue in England? Let’s find out…
How do all of the British nations compare?
We looked at the populations of the four nations that make up the United Kingdom with the most recent estimates by the Office for National Statistics, as of June 2022.
According to the data, there were 57.1 million people living in England. If we assume the figures stating that 6.4 million people are on a waiting list for medical treatment, then that means 11.2% of the English population is on a waiting list.
Scotland’s population was estimated to be 5.45 million. Recent data suggests that 840,000 people are current on the waiting list in Scotland, with 10% of those having waited for longer than a year. This means that 15.4% of the Scottish population is on a waiting list.
The latest figures show waiting lists for treatment in Wales has hit a record high. Of the 3.1 million people living in Wales, the most recent data shows 599,100 patients are waiting for hospital treatment. This suggests that a staggering 19.3% of its population is waiting for hospital treatment.
Northern Ireland has a population of over 1.9 million and have 356,000 patients on a waiting list. However, this figure only covers four of the five health trusts in Northern Ireland. Based on the figures we have, more than 18.6% of people are waiting to receive medical care.
*Please note that the above calculations are only estimations. Please also bear in mind that the population stats are almost two years old. These percentages are just to gauge a scale of the issue facing the NHS across the UK as of August 2024.
