Waiting lists for top 10 NHS procedures up by a third

Waiting lists for the top 10 NHS procedures in London hospitals have risen by a third, it was revealed today.

The number of patients waiting over six months for popular treatments such as cataracts and cancer screening rose in a year from 8,385 to 10,693 — an increase of 2,308.

The number of patients waiting more than 12 months and more than 18 months also increased, to 2,885 and 1,603.

Labour MP Gareth Thomas, who obtained the figures, said: “It is vital that patients ... should be able to promptly undergo these very common procedures.”

The top 10 procedures also include endoscopic examination and biopsy of throat or stomach and brain scans.