More than 200,000 on hospital waiting lists in Black Country and Staffordshire

NHS England data revealed 210,011 people were on waiting lists – with four hospitals seeing record numbers – as the England total surged to 5.45 million.

The national figure is the highest for any month since records began in August 2007, as Health Secretary Sajid Javid warned the number would keep rising.

At the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, which runs New Cross Hospital, there were 50,007 patients waiting for elective operations or treatment at the end of June.

This was up from 48,278 at the end of May and was also 31 per cent more than a year previously – and the highest figure for the month of June since comparable records began in 2012.

At the Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs Walsall Manor Hospital, the figure was 22,325 which was up from 21,960 at the end of May. This was 76 per cent more than were waiting a year previously, when there were 12,683 patients on the list.

At the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Russells Hall Hospital, there were 26,029 patients which was up from 24,803 at the end of May. It was 45 per cent more than a year previously, and the highest figure for the month of June since comparable records began in 2012.

NHS figures showed at the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, which runs Sandwell's General Hospital and Birmingham's City Hospital, had 48,219 patients waiting – 40 per cent more than a year previously and the highest figure for the month of June since comparable records began in 2011.

And at the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, which runs Royal Stoke University Hospital and Stafford's County Hospital, had 63,431 patients waiting for elective operations or treatment at at the end of June – up from 61,502 at the end of May.

This was also 67 per cent more than a year previously, and the highest figure for the month of June since comparable records began in 2011.

Mr Javid said he thinks waiting lists will rise even further due to the “huge increase in demand”.

He said: "The NHS has rightly focused on Covid-19 in this horrible pandemic and that has meant, sadly, that waiting lists have risen."

Around seven million people who might have needed care during the pandemic are estimated to have stayed away and as some of them come forward to the NHS, there will be further increases in waiting lists, he said.

He added that an extra £29 billion has gone into the NHS and social care budget this year, and the Government will look at what more it needs to do. Recent modelling from the Institute for Fiscal Studies warned the NHS waiting list could rise to 14 million by autumn next year.

Professor Stephen Powis, NHS England national medical director, said the health service is experiencing one of its busiest summers ever – dealing with record patient numbers, and delivering the biggest vaccine roll0out in its history.

The Health Foundation said the latest data “highlights the difficult juggling act the NHS faces in meeting emergency pressures, restoring services and addressing the backlog of care while Covid-19 cases still remain high”.

Tim Gardner, senior policy fellow at the charity, added: “The Government and NHS leaders now need to be clear and realistic with the public about how they intend to get the NHS back to full strength.

“There will need to be significant investment at the upcoming spending review if we are to see improvement on waiting lists and addressing the staff shortages which are holding back progress.”