Committees

NHS Backlogs and waiting times

Inquiry

The NHS in England was running at close to maximum capacity before the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has led to a sharp drop in routine NHS activity, resulting in more people waiting for treatment, and waiting for longer. 

The Committee will question the senior officials at DHSC and NHS England on the current position of NHS backlogs and waiting times following the COVID-19 pandemic, including the points at which patients wait for NHS treatment; how trends in waiting times changed before the emergence of COVID-19; and the effect that COVID-19 has had on waiting times.

If you have evidence on these issues, please submit it here by Wednesday 8 December.

This inquiry is no longer accepting evidence

The deadline for submissions was Wednesday 8 December 2021.

Reports, special reports and government responses

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Forty-Fourth Report - NHS backlogs and waiting times in England
Inquiry NHS Backlogs and waiting times
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Report
Response to this report
Correspondence from PAC Chair Dame Meg Hillier to Amanda Pritchard, Chief Executive, NHS England, re Treasury Minute response – Managing NHS backlogs and waiting times in England, dated 27 June 2023
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Correspondence
Response to this report
Correspondence from Amanda Pritchard, Chief Executive, NHS England, re TM44 NHS Backlogs & Waiting Times, Recommendation Five, dated 6 January 2023
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Correspondence
Response to this report
Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Forty Fourth report from Session 2021-22
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Government Response

Oral evidence transcripts

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15 December 2021
Inquiry NHS Backlogs and waiting times
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Oral Evidence

Written evidence

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The British Heart Foundation (NHS0031)
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British Dental Association (NHS0032)
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Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (NHS0033)
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Other publications

Government Responses
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Contact us

  • Email: pubaccom@parliament.uk
  • Phone: 020 7219 5776 (general enquiries) | 020 7219 8480 (media enquiries)
  • Address: Public Accounts Committee, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA