Health Secretary Matt Hancock has been mocked for saying that “in some ways the NHS is performing better than ever” on the day that stats revealed the service is experiencing its worst ever performance in A&E.
Devastating statistics also lay bare the rising waits for operations and cancer treatment faced by thousands of patients.
Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth said the comments were “unbelievable”.
He added: “Staggering, on day it’s confirmed A&E performance at its worst & more patients are languishing on trolleys.
“Tories utterly clueless about pain & misery their health cuts caused.”
The new NHS data shows that one in six patients waited longer than four hours in A&E in England during October – the worst-ever performance since the four-hour target was introduced in 2004.
Some 83.6% of patients arriving at A&E were treated or admitted in four hours.
The target is 95% but it has not been met since July 2015.
The data also showed that in September, 84.8% of patients started treatment within 18 weeks against a target of 92%.
The target was last met in February 2016.
The target to start cancer treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral is also being missed.
Some 76.9% of cancer patients started treatment in 62 days in September, below the 85% target.
(Image: Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)
Overall, more than 4.4 million patients are on the waiting list.
Challenged over the figures on the BBC’s World At One Mr Hancock blamed the increase in waiting times on a rise in demand.
He said: “We’ve clearly seen a very significant increase in demand for hospital services over the last 12 months – about a quarter in terms of the people going to A and E in the last five years.
“And these figures show a 4.4% increase in attendances over the last 12 months and that increase in demand is clearly putting pressure on the system.
“Now parts of the system are responding extremely well.
“In terms of getting operations done there’s been a 7% rise so when people talk about the performance of the NHS in many ways the NHS is performing better than it ever has.
“The challenge is that demand is increasing as well.”
Accused of being complacent, he hit back saying: One of the things I really regret in the tone of this debate is this idea that performance is somehow not strengthening.
“The performance of the system is incredible and the people who are working in the NHS are doing a remarkable job.”
