Record NHS waiting list shows that front line staff will need more support - MP

Local MP Tim Farron says NHS front line staff desperately need more support, after it was revealed that 4.7 million people were waiting for routine operations and procedures in England in February - the most since 2007.

Today's figures from NHS England show that there are 24,002 people in the Morecambe Bay area waiting to start hospital treatment, up from 19,867 this time last year.

Around 4 in 10 (39.7%) people have been waiting more than 18 weeks for treatment, up from just 1 in 5 (21.7%) 12 months ago.

Meanwhile, over 1,900 patients have been waiting over a year for treatment.

In Parliament yesterday, Tim was the only Cumbrian MP to vote in favour of a Bill to award NHS staff a pay rise.

Tim said: "Today's alarming figures are a stark reminder that while the country looks to get back to normal, those working in our NHS face months and possibly years more of working round the clock to treat people and save lives.

"Not only is it critical that we catch up with the many vital operations that have been put on hold by the pandemic, it's just as important that we support our frontline NHS workers.

"The Government's 1% pay rise for nurses is not an only ungrateful insult to the heroic work that those in the NHS have been doing these past 12 months, but it also threatens to put people off working in the health service at a time when it needs as much support as humanly possible."