It Will Take Years to Shrink England’s Swollen Backlog of Nonemergency Medical Care, an Official Warns.

February 8, 2022

(New York Times) – England has a huge backlog of elective medical procedures, worsened by the coronavirus pandemic, that will take years to clear, Sajid Javid, Britain’s health secretary, told lawmakers on Tuesday as he announced a plan to address the problem. When coronavirus cases surged in England during the pandemic, hospitals in the National Health Service gave priority to patients who were critically ill with Covid-19, and suspended nonemergency procedures. Many health workers caught the virus themselves, depleting staff. Months of strain on the health service sent the backlog to crisis levels. Mr. Javid warned that the backlog would continue to grow, probably until March 2024, before efforts to address it could turn the tide. (Read More)