The Week in Numbers (to October 11th)
Hmm
7,414,794
Last week, we suggested that managing the health service while preparing for winter, with 7.4 million people on the NHS waiting list, might push some NHS bosses to consider new job opportunities. However, nobody ended up losing their jobs, and the waiting list has now grown to 7.41 million.
The Labour Party was filled with glee when it shared a graph in April showing that waiting times had decreased. Wes’s grand plan is truly coming to fruition.
2027:
The good news is that all is not lost: patients in England will be able to access care through a new service called NHS Online, set to launch in 2027. The government says this “online hospital” service aims to reduce waiting lists by allowing patients referred to a hospital by their GP to consult with a specialist via phone or video calls, instead of attending an in-person appointment.
Hmm, didn’t Alexander Graham Bell invent the phone in 1876? So, what have 7.41 million been waiting for? A phone call.
£25.7 billion
The Government ha…
