Fact checks about the reported quality of the NHS, waiting lists and quality of care
Health
Apparently contradictory research from Labour and the Times suggests that either 121,000 or 340,000 people died while waiting for treatment in England last year. Read
Health
Rishi Sunak claimed A&E waiting times are at their best in two years. But experts say this is hard to reconcile with public data, which shows that June 2023 was not the best month in the last 24. Read
Health
The health minister Maria Caulfield said that NHS England waiting times were falling “drastically”. The latest data does not support this. Read
Health
Rishi Sunak says the government’s “cutting waiting lists”. That’s true in the case of some specific NHS waiting lists, but not for the main list overall. Read
Health
Earlier this month the Royal College of Emergency Medicine estimated delays are causing 300-500 deaths a week - but NHS leaders say they “don’t recognise these numbers”. Read
Health
This widely reported figure is an estimate, based on several assumptions that may not be right. Read
Health
A headline suggesting otherwise is not accurate. There is a reported shortage of appointments for new NHS patients, however. Read
A social media post incorrectly claims that a letter written to The Times was from a doctor who died in 2016. Read
Health
There are some important caveats to figures showing GP appointments drop off later in the week. Read
Health
Jeremy Hunt said the NHS operates on the wrong part of someone’s body four times a day. It’s actually four times a week. Read
