Latest analysis of the updated waiting lists from NHS England for May 2021 by LCP's NHS Waiting List Tracker shows:  

• The number on the waiting list increased from 5.1m in April 2021 to 5.3m in May 2021.
• This is now 25% higher than before the pandemic began (March 2020).
• The number waiting a year or more for treatment has decreased from 385,490 to 336,733.
• There are now 79,048 waiting more than 18 months for treatment (a 22% increase from April 2021) and 3,927 waiting at least 2 years (a 44% increase from April 2021).
• Orthopaedics continues to have the largest waiting list at 647,450.
• Large regional inequalities persist across the waiting list with the number of people waiting 52 weeks or more for orthopaedics now just over 80 times higher in Norfolk and Waveney than North East Lincolnshire.

Dr Jonathan Pearson-Stuttard, Head of Health Analytics at LCP commented: “The latest waiting list data from NHS England paints a mixed picture. The overall number on the waiting list continues to increase however the number waiting more than 1-year has reduced by 13% since last month. It is very concerning however to see substantial increases in the numbers waiting 18 months and 2-years for treatment and the persistent regional inequalities in these figures. The new Secretary of State has made waiting lists one of his major priorities. He must ensure additional resources are targeted at the areas with most unmet need to ensure inequalities do not worsen further as a legacy of the Covid-19 pandemic."