Collection
The number of people waiting for NHS treatment in England has risen rapidly during the Covid-19 pandemic, with 7.2 million incomplete treatment pathways in December 2022.
The graph below shows the size of the NHS waiting list since comparable records began in August 2007. It shows a particular rise in the number of people waiting more than 18 weeks, the NHS waiting target.
While the number of people waiting has risen by more than 2 million since the start of the pandemic, this is much less than the amount of care that was missed.
You can read our previous analysis of what could explain these missing patients, and what could happen to waiting lists in the coming years, below.
Analysis
Previous event
Authors
George Stoye
I completed a PhD at UCL in 2020. My work examines the drivers of variation in the quantity and quality of healthcare provided to different patients.
Max Warner
Max joined the IFS in 2020 as a research economist in the Healthcare Sector, with a focus on the NHS labour force and adult social care in England.
Ben Zaranko
Ben is a Senior Research Economist and an editor of the IFS Green Budget. His work focuses on the health and social care system and UK fiscal policy.
Paul Johnson
Paul has been the Director of the IFS since 2011. He is also currently visiting professor in the Department of Economics at University College London.
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