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NHS waiting lists hit new high as calls for more staff continues
The number of people waiting for procedures such as hip replacements and cataract surgery climbed to 6.4 million at the end of March.
Staff nurses working in the corridor in the Acute Dependency Unit at St George's Hospital in Tooting, south-west London. Photo dated 07/01/21.

NHS England waiting lists for those expecting routine treatment have hit yet another new high, official data revealed today, leading to repeated calls for more health and social care staff.

The total number of people on waiting lists for procedures such as hip replacements and cataract surgery stood at 6.4 million at the end of March, up from 6.2 million in February and the highest number since records began in 2007, NHS England figures show.

While the data showed that the number of people waiting more than two years has dropped for the second month in a row by 28 per cent, the figure is still more than six times higher than in April 2021.

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