Waiting lists are unlikely to fall before mid-2024, analysis finds

The NHS has made some progress on reducing the care backlog but is unlikely to see a meaningful drop in waiting times before the middle of next year, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has said.1

The IFS analysis reviewed the year since the government unveiled its NHS backlog plan and found that the NHS had almost eliminated waiting times of over two years, and its target of eliminating waits of 18 months or more by April “remains within reach.” However, it warned that the health service was far from reaching the government’s headline ambition to deliver 30% more elective activity by 2024-25 than was achieved pre-pandemic.

When the aim was announced health leaders were quick to highlight the lack of workforce planning related to delivering …