Thousands of patients in England are experiencing “catastrophic health impacts” as a result of vital NHS appointments, procedures and operations being delayed or cancelled, a damning report warns.
A record 7.5 million people are waiting to start routine hospital treatment, the highest figure since records began in 2007. About 385,000 people have now been waiting more than a year to start treatment.
A devastating report by Healthwatch England, a watchdog, says that last-minute cancellations were causing patients to get even sicker and their mental health to deteriorate. Some in severe pain have endured multiple cancellations and postponements, it found.
In 2022-23, there were 77,266 last-minute cancelled operations for people waiting for pre-planned care in hospitals in England. Meanwhile, separate figures show that strikes over the past eight months have led to 819,000 appointments, operations and procedures being postponed.
The report published on Thursday came a day after junior doctors in England announced a fresh round of strikes in August, which could lead to tens of thousands more treatments being delayed or cancelled.
The British Medical Association said junior doctors in England would stage a four-day strike amid the continuing row with the government over pay. Thousands of new doctors will be urged to strike just over a week after starting work in England’s hospitals.
The strike will begin at 7am on 11 August – nine days after foundation year 1 junior doctors start their first NHS jobs on Wednesday 2 August.
A survey for the Healthwatch report found that more than a third (39%) of people who had an appointment called off this year experienced cancellations or postponements two or more times.
Approximately 1,084 adults in England who had an appointment cancelled in 2023 were polled by Yonder Data Solutions on behalf of Healthwatch. They included people who faced postponements for pre-planned hospital care, hospital outpatient appointments, diagnostic scans or tests and community health appointments.
Nearly one in five (18%) said their appointment was cancelled at the last minute – either on the day or as they arrived for their appointment. About 66% said cancellations to care had an impact, reporting continuing pain, worsening symptoms, worsening mental health, and disrupted sleep, among other problems.
Half (52%) said they had not been offered support to manage their medical condition during the new wait for care and 79% said the NHS had offered them “very little” or “no support” with their mental health.
Healthwatch said some groups appeared to be disproportionately affected by the cancellations. They included unpaid carers, neurodivergent people, those on lower incomes and people from minority ethnic backgrounds.
Louise Ansari, the chief executive of Healthwatch England, said: “The findings of our research show that many people are currently facing worsening and, in some cases, catastrophic health impacts due to ongoing delays to care.
“And addressing health inequalities continues to be a significant challenge for the NHS.
“People who often face serious difficulties accessing specialist NHS care, such as unpaid carers, neurodivergent people, and those on lower incomes, are also those who are suffering the most from ongoing cancellations.
“If their symptoms worsen or their mental health deteriorates, this in turn puts extra pressure on health and care services. We urgently need to reduce the number of cancellations of appointments, especially last-minute cancellations, and greater action is needed to address widening health inequalities.
“With industrial action in the NHS being one of the many factors impacting people’s ability to access timely care, we are also renewing our call for all parties to reach a resolution to mitigate the impact of strikes on patients.”
An NHS England spokesperson said strikes over the past eight months had “obviously” had a significant impact, but added that staff were doing all they could to manage the disruption.
