Stephen Morgan MP has called on the new health secretary to ‘get a grip’ of the local NHS backlog, with 45,913 patients now on Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust’s waiting list, according to the latest NHS figures.
Only 65% of patients are being seen within 18 weeks by Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, well below the NHS operational standard of 92%.
It comes as 6.73 million people are currently on the NHS waiting list in England as of June 2022, the highest ever recorded.
At the outbreak of the Covid pandemic, there were 4.4 million people on the NHS waiting list in England, then a record high. Nationally, the standard of 92% of people seen within 18 weeks of a referral has not been met since 2016. Now, 1 in every 9 people in England are on the NHS waiting list.
Commenting, the Member of Parliament for Portsmouth South, Stephen Morgan, said:
“Portsmouth has become a healthcare hell for patients with tens of thousands still waiting to get the care they need.
“This is the fourth health secretary we have had in just over a year, yet the Conservatives have failed at every turn to get a grip of local NHS waiting lists. Unacceptable waiting times will mean people in Portsmouth could fall through the cracks.
“At the same time as they are putting up taxes on working people, they are lowering standards for patients. We’re paying more but waiting longer.
“Our NHS is crying out for a change in government to give us the fresh start we need.”
