The hospital waiting list in England has risen for the third month in a row with experts warning the government’s key NHS priority – tackling the backlog – is at risk.
At the end of August the waiting list for routine treatments hit 7.41 million – in May it was 7.36 million.
The proportion waiting longer than the target time of 18 weeks has also risen.
Experts said the government was facing a significant challenge reducing waits, but ministers said its investment in the NHS would pay off.
The government has promised that by the end of this parliament it will hit the 18-week waiting time target – something that has not been done for a decade.
That requires 92% of patients, waiting for treatments such as knee and hip operations, to be seen within 18 weeks. Currently, 61% are.
Over the summer waits worsened following a period of sustained progress after Labour came to power.
Dr Francesca Cavallaro, of the Health Foundation think-tank, said on current trends the government would fall short on its pledge.
“The scale of the challenge remains significant.”
Prof Peter Friend, of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, predicted the coming winter would be tough.
“The government must face facts: without urgent investment in NHS infrastructure and support for staff wellbeing, progress on reducing waiting times will remain slow.
“Surgeons are ready to do more but are held back by critical resource issues – a lack of operating time, staff vacancies and equipment. Patients deserve better.”
Rory Deighton, of the NHS Confederation, which represents health bosses, said: “NHS leaders and their teams are working incredibly hard to boost productivity. So it is deeply frustrating that waiting lists have gone up for the third month in a row.
But Health Minister Stephen Kinnock defended the performance of the NHS.
He said it had been a “record-breaking” summer with more tests and checks being done than ever before.
“We know there’s more to do – that’s why we’re pressing ahead with new surgical hubs, evening and weekend scans, and cutting-edge technology to get millions more patients treated on time,” he added.
