Experts warn 5.3 million backlog could exacerbate burnout with staff facing ‘unprecedented levels of exhaustion’
The number of patients waiting for NHS treatment in England broke records for the second month in a row to reach 5.3 million, official figures show, prompting warnings the huge care backlog could exacerbate NHS staff burnout.
It means that the waiting list has grown by 606,501 over the last three months as patients have started using the NHS again, renewing fears that it will hit 7 million before the end of the year.