Versus Arthritis Statement

Setting out 6 milestones, Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged 92% of patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to start consultant-led treatment of non-urgent health conditions.

Zoe Chivers,  Director of Services and Influencing at Versus Arthritis:

“Today’s ambitious target to see 92% of people in England waiting no more than 18 weeks for routine operations by March 2029 is welcome news. Action to tackle the waiting list backlog has been kicked into the long grass for too long. But we know there will be people in our community who will remain sceptical, with many questions unanswered on how this will be delivered.

“The waiting list for routine orthopaedic treatment such as joint replacements has topped 1 million in the UK – an all time high. These figures have been steadily rising since 2013. Other European nations have managed to claw back progress since the pandemic, but the UK has failed to get a grip on the challenge.

“Now is the time for big ambitions, given the scale of the problem. Aside from the personal toll of pain and disability, the impact on the economy and additional demand on the NHS for those waiting is high. Joint replacements are some of the most cost effective and successful treatments delivered by the NHS, giving people their lives back and preventing a spiral of declining physical and mental health."