Across the UK a record high of 5.98 million people are on NHS waiting lists. In North West London, 53,528 are waiting for treatment.

Ealing Labour’s cabinet member for healthy lives Josh Blacker said,

“People in Ealing are paying more tax than ever, while NHS waiting lists climb higher than ever. Too many people in our community are stuck waiting for treatment for far too long – that’s not just a statistic, that’s lives put on hold.

“This Conservative Government promised people in Ealing that they had a plan, but it is getting clearer by the day that they don’t have a clue what they are doing – and they are letting us down. It’s time to get a grip.”

Responding to the figures, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting said,

“One in every ten people in England are on NHS waiting lists today and the situation is set to get even worse, despite the Tories’ unfair tax rises on working people. Under the Tories we’re paying more and getting less.

“The NHS went into the pandemic with waiting lists at record levels, staff shortages of 100,000 in the health service and 112,000 social care vacancies thanks to a decade of Conservative mismanagement.

“We need a plan to address the staffing shortages in health and social care service, to ensure the timely and quality care that patients deserve.”