Renata,

I'm afraid this is old news - NHS waiting times across the board have been increasing since May 2010. 

At that time, the incoming Secretary of State for Health did exactly what his party had promised to do in their manifesto and pledged to free the NHS from a "culture of targets". At the same time, he started a programme designed to introduce localism with local GPs forming CCGs which would set local priorities instead of having central targets. Almost every professional body warned against this saying that without nationally mandated targets standards of care would deteriorate (A&E and Cancer waiting times were specifically mentioned) and that without National strategies we would return to the days of postcode lotteries.

Add to this the use of NICE guidance to make GPs severely reduce the number of expensive diagnostic tests being ordered to reduce short-term costs in this age of austerity (never mind the cost of treating people at a later stage and the socio-economic impact of increasing mortality rates) plus an ageing and increasingly obese population and you have the perfect conditions to say that the NHS is failing and the only way to safeguard your families health is via private health insurance. 

KatieZ is right - this is an unacceptable situation, but in my view it is a direct and predictable result of misguided and ideologically based Government policy since May 2010. 

The situation is even worse for those using Cinderalla services such as Mental Health services including dementia care.

Regards,

Dave