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NHS Productivity Rises, But Waiting Lists Don't Shrink
9 Dec
Summary
- Outpatient appointments rose 9.4%, but completed treatments only 4%.
- Increased appointments per patient, not new patients, inflate lists.
- Robotic surgery innovation needs matching rigorous training standards.
NHS hospitals are experiencing a rise in productivity, with outpatient appointments increasing by 9.4% in 2024/25. However, this surge has not translated into meaningful reductions in waiting lists, as the number of patients completing treatment only grew by 4% in the same period. Analysis suggests this discrepancy is due to patients receiving more appointments and operations before discharge, rather than an increase in new patients or illness severity.
This trend has significant implications for the government's ambition to cut NHS waiting times. The Institute for Fiscal Studies highlights that without this increase in individual patient activity, waiting lists could have been approximately one million cases lower. The analysis also points to an NHS England incentive scheme that may have prioritized activity levels over completed treatments.
Concurrently, there is a push to embrace robotic-assisted surgery, with projections of 500,000 procedures annually by 2035. The Royal College of Surgeons of England is issuing new guidance to ensure rigorous training and governance standards keep pace with this technological advancement, emphasizing the need for simulator training and competency checks.
