Commenting on the latest referral to treatment waiting times data from the Department of Health, Sir Richard Thompson, president of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), said:
These statistics are undoubtedly worrying for patients and offer yet more evidence that the NHS is struggling to cope with an inexorable rise in demand. Our members are seeing an increased number of patients requiring urgent care and this has an inevitable effect on the ability of hospitals to manage planned treatments.
Increasing hospital admissions, combined with financial pressures, the inflexibility of junior doctors' hours due to the European Working Time Directive, and fewer new consultant posts being created are all adding stress to a system that could soon reach breaking point.
For further information, please contact Andrew McCracken, RCP Communications and New Media Adviser, on +44 (0)203 075 1354 / 07990 745 608, or email andrew.mccracken@rcplondon.ac.uk