More patients across England are paying for private healthcare as NHS waiting times remain stubbornly high. New research from Healthwatch England shows a sharp rise in people bypassing NHS waiting lists for faster diagnosis, consultations and surgery. The shift highlights growing concern about delayed treatment, diagnostic backlogs and limited hospital capacity. As patients search for…

A new watchdog report reveals that fourteen percent of GP referrals in England never reach hospital waiting lists, leaving thousands of patients unknowingly without treatment. In a system already managing 7.8 million people on official backlogs, these invisible failures create serious clinical risks. Lost referrals delay diagnoses, worsen health, and undermine trust. MMG argues that…