NHS leaders warned that the waiting list for hospital treatment can jump to 10 million people on Christmas by Covid-19 disrupting services. Hospital bosses also said that it is possible that England can have a huge increase, due to the fact that having a surgery and crucial diagnostic tests given may be difficult for people in the recent period. It is because the NHS has another first concern that is lowering the troubles from Covid-19.
By the end of this year, the waiting list can hit 10 million
Before pandemic, there are 4.4 million people who are waiting to undergo a procedure such as a hernia repair, cataract removal or hip or knee replacement. In March, the number dropped to 4.2 million. It is because some patients wanted to avoid the risk of contact with the virus by going into hospital and GPs reported a limited number of patients for care to help hospitals facing the pandemic.
But, the waiting lists can achieve 9.9 million by the end of 2020, according to NHS Confederation. This situation is related to the lack of staff personal and hospitals having to reduce the number of patients, because the strict physical distancing rules decreased the number of beds available that doctors can use for the treatment.
Taking into account the best-case scenario by confederation, about 8.1 million people would be waiting while in pessimistic scenarios, the number can reach 10.8 million.
Concerns about NHS hospital
Boris Johnson and the health secretary, Matt Hancock, have clarified that they want NHS services to return in providing the regular field treatment services and diagnostic and as soon as possible.
However Niall Dickson, the confederation’s chief executive, has alerted the PM in a letter that, while the aim of hospitals is to resume services, the necessity to maintain social distancing in the NHS may require time, also because many staff are “exhausted and traumatised”.
A Royal College of Nursing spokesman stated that,“For burnt-out nursing staff on short-staffed wards, care homes or clinics, it will be a struggle to restart services. The legacy of this pandemic is yet to dawn. The professionals are still focused on the here and now.”
On the other side, the director of policy, campaigns and influencing at Macmillan Cancer Support, Steven McIntosh, referred that action was needed to enable cancer patients to get care. Covid-19 has created huge delays in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in the UK, which brings to many people with cancer the sensation of despair, anxiety and loneliness.