NHS waiting list in England longest since August 2007

New figures released by NHS England today reveal the waiting list to be at its longest since August 2007 having steadily risen over the last few years to 4.1 million people awaiting treatment. Responding to the figures, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, Janet Davies, said: "While he is not personally on the hook today...these figures should leave the new Health Secretary in no doubt as to the scale of the task ahead of him". In terms of the action she sees as necessary for the NHS, she added: "Safe and effective patient care relies on having enough nurses, and the Health Secretary must urgently address the staff shortages that are crippling our healthcare system.”