'I’ve been waiting three years for surgery'

In the lead-up to the general election, the BBC is focusing on issues that matter most to the public, one of which is the long waiting lists for NHS treatment. Sharon Barbour, a health correspondent for BBC Look North, took to the streets of Newcastle to hear people's experiences. One of the individuals she spoke to was Jabar Barzanji, a 23-year-old from Newcastle who lost his left eye in a car accident that also claimed the lives of his parents when he was a teenager. Jabar has been waiting for three years to have eye surgery. He mentioned that he had a couple of surgeries soon after the accident, but the last one has been delayed for an extended period. Jabar wears an eyepatch because the prosthetic eye he currently has causes pain and inflammation. This situation has also negatively impacted his mental health. Jabar, who works full-time and plans to attend university, hopes to have his surgery soon but has considered going abroad for treatment, which he found too expensive. He urges the next government to expedite appointments.

Jabar is not alone in facing long waits for treatment. Sharon Barbour spoke to other residents in Newcastle who shared their experiences. One person mentioned waiting a year to see a hospital dentist, while another had been waiting four years for a hernia operation. Some cancer patients had been seen more quickly, but others had to resort to desperate measures like going overseas or opting for private treatment.

Across England, the waiting list for treatment reached 7. 57 million at the end of April, up from 7. 54 million the previous month. More than 300,000 people have been waiting for over a year, according to NHS figures. This presents a significant challenge for the next government. Siva Anandaciva from the King's Fund, a health think-tank, says the NHS is under incredible pressure. He notes that the performance challenges the NHS is facing today would have been unimaginable ten years ago. NHS England medical director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, says demand remains high across the board and warns that the five-day strike by junior doctors at the end of June is likely to cause further disruption.

There are variations in wait times depending on the type of treatment. The North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board claims to be the best performing region in the country for people receiving treatment within 18 weeks from referral. However, those needing heart treatment are seen more quickly, with an average wait of about nine weeks for cardiology services, compared to an average 14-week wait for plastic surgery, trauma, and orthopaedic services.

Ann Hope, a 44-year-old from Billingham, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia. She has completed her cancer treatment, but the chemotherapy has left her with persistent pain in her legs. Ann has been waiting for pain relief treatment since January and has been informed that she will have to wait until September. The pain makes it difficult for her to perform even basic tasks, and she says the waiting list will be a major factor in her voting decision.

Different political parties have proposed various plans to address the waiting lists. Labour promises to deliver an additional 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments per week in England and to double the number of cancer scanners. The Conservatives pledge to recruit 92,000 extra nurses and 24,000 extra doctors and to invest in new NHS facilities. The Liberal Democrats would guarantee that all cancer patients start treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral, recruit more cancer nurses, and replace outdated scanners. The Green Party aims to increase NHS funding to £50bn by 2030 and to raise the salaries of frontline workers. Reform UK has called for a new NHS funding model and proposes an additional £17bn per year for the NHS.