Nearly half of the 6.23 million patients awaiting NHS treatment in England have received no further care since their GP referral, new data reveals. The figures, analysed by health data specialist MBI Health, show that 2.99 million patients have not had a first specialist appointment or diagnostic test.
The Patients Association described the situation as an 'invisible waiting list crisis' of staggering scale, with millions living in limbo as their health deteriorates. Chief executive Rachel Power said: 'These aren't just statistics. They're people checking their phones daily for hospital calls that never come.'
The data casts doubt on Prime Minister Keir Starmer's pledge that 92% of patients will be treated within 18 weeks by 2029. Currently, only 61% are treated on time, and one million of the unseen patients have already waited more than 18 weeks.
Barry Mulholland, founder of MBI Health, called the waiting list a 'frontlog, not a backlog' because so many have not had their first clinical contact. He warned that without addressing this group, the 18-week target would be 'really hard to accomplish'.
The medical specialities with the highest numbers of unseen patients include ear, nose and throat care, orthopaedics, eye care, gastroenterology, and gynaecology, where 67% to 75% of waiting lists consist of such patients.
