Appointments cancelled owing to industrial action pushing waiting lists to new highs
NHS appointments cancelled owing to junior doctor strikes have pushed the NHS waiting list to a new record high of 7.6 million.
The overall waiting list rose by 102,000 at the end of June up from 7.5 million the month before. Three days of junior doctor strikes in June saw 106,000 appointments and procedures cancelled, according to NHS England.
Junior doctors are set to begin their fifth round of industrial action at 7am on Friday, which will last until Tuesday.
NHS chiefs predict “thousands of appointments and procedures are likely to be postponed” again.