NHS performance and satisfaction

Fact checks about the reported quality of the NHS, waiting lists and quality of care

23 January 2023

How many excess deaths are A&E delays causing?

Earlier this month the Royal College of Emergency Medicine estimated delays are causing 300-500 deaths a week - but NHS leaders say they “don’t recognise these numbers”.

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How many excess deaths are A&E delays causing?
14 December 2022

Labour’s analysis on five million ‘denied’ GP appointments fact checked

This widely reported figure is an estimate, based on several assumptions that may not be right.

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Labour’s analysis on five million ‘denied’ GP appointments fact checked
20 October 2021

Two doctors with same name cause Times letter confusion

A social media post incorrectly claims that a letter written to The Times was from a doctor who died in 2016.

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Two doctors with same name cause Times letter confusion
13 October 2021

Daily Mail report on GPs seeing fewer patients on Fridays needs more context

There are some important caveats to figures showing GP appointments drop off later in the week.

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Daily Mail report on GPs seeing fewer patients on Fridays needs more context
20 January 2020

Jeremy Hunt muddled the numbers on botched surgeries

Jeremy Hunt said the NHS operates on the wrong part of someone’s body four times a day. It’s actually four times a week.

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Jeremy Hunt muddled the numbers on botched surgeries
16 January 2020

Up to 260 UK patients per year experience vision loss because of healthcare delays

Glaucoma is the most common main diagnosis for such patients.

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Up to 260 UK patients per year experience vision loss because of healthcare delays
11 December 2019

Are NHS waiting lists the longest they have ever been now?

This article is part of our Ask Full Fact series on the 2019 general election, answering your questions about the election, from claims the main parties are making to what …

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Are NHS waiting lists the longest they have ever been now?
13 August 2019

We can’t say patients are waiting over two weeks to see a GP on average

Reports that the average wait to see GPs has passed the two-week mark aren’t based on reliable evidence.

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We can’t say patients are waiting over two weeks to see a GP on average
11 July 2019

Is the NHS introducing price lists for treatments?

NHS trusts can offer patients the option to “self-fund” a select range of treatments, if they don’t meet the criteria to have it paid for by the NHS.

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Is the NHS introducing price lists for treatments?
9 July 2019

Are three million more patients using good or outstanding hospitals?

There were 2.7m more admissions in 2017/18 to hospital trusts that had improved their rating to good or outstanding than admissions to trusts that had dropped their rating to a …

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Are three million more patients using good or outstanding hospitals?

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