Justin Madders – 2020 Comments on Patient Wait Times

The comments made by Justin Madders, the Shadow Health Minister, on 13 August 2020.

All signals are pointing towards a growing and alarming backlog of clinical need with patients waiting longer for operations and diagnostic tests. Waiting times were dire before the pandemic and we are reaching some worrying new lows. Especially concerning is that the low number of people starting cancer treatment after attending national screening programmes, which indicates that people also aren’t able to access screening or quick treatment. This is incredibly concerning when we know that early diagnosis and treatment is crucial to saving lives.

We can’t ignore the fact that there are undoubtedly patients not getting help who may desperately need it. We supported the lockdown to suppress this horrific virus but the far-reaching consequences for wider health outcomes must not be ignored.