More people are facing long waits for NHS treatment, with hundreds enduring delays of more than a year according to fresh figures.

Some 11,857 people in England had been waiting more than six months for treatment in June, a rise of 61% compared with last year.

Within this figure, 718 people had been waiting more than 12 months to begin treatment, an increase from 430 in June 2010.

The number of people waiting more than six weeks for important health tests has almost quadrupled during the last year.

A third of England’s primary care trusts – twice as many as last year – are now failing to reach NHS targets which state that 90% of patients should be seen within 18 weeks.

Meanwhile, data recently showed that A&E waiting times have also increased, with twice as many people waiting more than four hours to be treated by staff.

This comes despite an overall decline in the number of people visiting A&E departments.

The Government has insisted that waiting times within the NHS remain stable.

http://www.ageuk.org.uk/latest-news/nhs-patients-face-longer-waits/