Another MP corrects waiting list claim… but others still haven’t

We’re grateful to Labour MP Dr Allison Gardner, who corrected a Facebook post that mixed up the number of people and the number of cases on the NHS England waiting list.

Dr Gardner is the fifth MP in the current Parliament to correct a waiting list error after we contacted them. However, others have yet to correct similar errors, even though we have asked them to do so.

Our AI tools found a post by Dr Gardner on Saturday, which originally said there had been a record high of “nearly 8 million people” waiting for treatment under the Conservatives. In fact, as you can see in our waiting lists explainer, the backlog peaked at 6.5 million people—who were involved in about 7.8 million cases.

NHS England began to publish an estimate for the number of people on the waiting list in November 2023. Since then, we have taken action many times to address confusion between estimates for the number of people and the number of cases on the waiting list. The figures differ as some people are awaiting treatment for more than one thing.This latest correction came soon after we launched the #FactsMatter campaign. Find out more about how you can support us in our fight for a better information environment.