136,000 waiting for NHS care across five north London boroughs

According to the NHS data from May, in the North Central London CCG area - hospitals in Barnet, Camden, Haringey, Islington and Enfield - there were 136,568 people waiting for treatment.

This is the fifth highest figure for any CCG area, and works out at 90 people for every thousand across the five boroughs.

Matthew Parris, director of local health watchdog Healthwatch Camden, told this newspaper the rising numbers are a concern.

"We know that government modelling indicates that current waiting lists could more than double by the end of the year," he said.

"This is a real concern, particularly as NCL CCG already has some of the largest waiting lists in the country.

“It’s vital that care is provided in a timely way, as delays in treatment could result in adverse health outcomes for both urgent and non-urgent needs.”

The data covers hospital including the Royal Free, Barnet Hospital, the Whittington, UCLH and North Middlesex.

Matthew said "steps should be taken" to tackle the backlog, and said it is vital that those waiting for NHS care contact their GP if they have concerns about their health. He said health bosses must ensure health inequality does not worsen and reminded people that Healthwatch Camden is able to raise concerns on behalf of patients.

A NCL CCG spokesperson said: “Hospitals across north central London have worked together throughout the pandemic to treat people with Covid, while at the same time delivering the most urgent routine care for their patients.

"The NHS in north central London has tried and tested approaches to managing extra demand and the single most important thing you can do to protect yourself and those around you is get your vaccine as soon as you can.”

If you have been adversely affected by waiting too long for much-needed medical treatment in north London, contact Sam on the newsdesk on Sam.Volpe@Archant.co.uk or 07785616237.