Stephanie Peacock, MP for Barnsley East, has criticised the Government for allowing hospital waiting lists to spiral in Barnsley.

New figures from the NHS have revealed that, at the end of November 2021, there were 13,589 people on the waiting list at Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. 106 people had been waiting for more than a year for an appointment and 1 person had been waiting more than 2 years.

In March 2020, at the outbreak of the Covid pandemic, there were 4,235,970 people on the NHS waiting list in England, then a record high.

Now, 1 in every 9 people in England are on the NHS waiting list.

GP waiting times in Barnsley have also rocketed, with the local CCG saying there is ‘a huge gap between the unprecedented levels of demand for GP services and available capacity in GP practices both in Barnsley and nationally.’

As a result, Ms Peacock has urged the Government to provide a plan to deal with the chronic shortage of GPs, doctors, nurses, and to set clear targets to reduce waiting lists and waiting times.

Stephanie Peacock MP commented:

“People in Barnsley are being forced to wait months and even years for treatment, often in pain and discomfort. It is unacceptable and will have appalling consequences for patients.

“Our local health care staff have worked heroically throughout the pandemic, but they are now stretched like never before.

“The Government must come up with a plan urgently, and give Barnsley Hospital the staff and support they need to get through the winter and to get patients seen on time.”