NHS waiting lists in Bedfordshire have risen by 10,000 since last year

• Rishi Sunak pledged to cut NHS waiting lists in January 2023, but in the last year they have risen by 10,163 in Bedfordshire.
• Waiting lists in Bedfordshire now stand at 94,979 after Conservative party has slashed real-terms NHS funding by billions.
• Lib Dems call for a reversal to NHS spending cuts that are leaving local health services overstretched.

NHS waiting lists in Bedfordshire have hit 94,979, up by 10,163 from November 2022, despite Rishi Sunak pledging to cut them at the start of last year. Bedford Borough Liberal Democrats have called for the government to reverse its NHS spending cuts. NHS data also reveals that the number waiting over a year for treatment has risen by 319 since Sunak made his waiting lists pledge to 4,411.

It comes as the Conservative government slashes funding for the NHS despite waiting lists growing compared to last year. The Autumn Statement revealed that the NHS budget has been cut by £3.5 billion (2.1%) in real terms this year, and is set to fall by another £1.3 billion (0.8%) next year. Bedford Borough Liberal Democrats are calling on the Conservative government to reverse the NHS spending cuts and invest in fixing local hospitals, hiring more staff and ensuring patients get the treatment they deserve.

Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Councillor Dean Crofts said “These shocking figures show far too many people in Bedfordshire are being left waiting endlessly in pain for treatment. People deserve a local health service that delivers the care they deserve when they need it.

“One year on from when Rishi Sunak promised that waiting lists would fall, thousands of people in our community are still stuck on waiting lists with their lives put on hold or unable to work. Now this government is set to do the unthinkable and slash NHS funding even further. Local health services are in crisis but Conservative ministers either don’t get it or don’t care. It shows the Conservative Party cannot be trusted with the NHS.”