Facts

On 31 May, Rishi Sunak announced on Twitter that “We’re cutting waiting lists”. The Prime Minister was referring to one of his five key priorities for 2023: “NHS waiting lists will fall”. 

The number of people currently waiting for treatment on the health service stands at 7.4 million - the highest figure in the NHS’s 75-year history.

On 5 July, Maria Caulfield, Conservative Health Minister, appeared on Sky News stating that waiting lists are set to go even higher. 

After presenter Kay Burley pointed out the size of the waiting list, the minister said: “That probably will go up higher because we’re offering more procedures”. 

Verdict

Rishi Sunak was misleading his Twitter followers. Waiting lists are going up, not falling. Perhaps Rishi Sunak meant that waiting lists are going up less than they otherwise would thanks to government action. But that is not what he said. 

We emailed Rishi Sunak’s office and Number 10 offering him the chance to respond. The email was received, but no reply.