5.8m awaiting hospital treatment in England—a new record

5.8 million people are currently awaiting hospital treatment in England, say new figures from NHS England.

This is a record high since records began in 2007.

The health secretary Sajid Javid said last month that it is “impossible to know” whether the NHS backlog will be resolved within three years.

Figures released by NHS England in October showed a previous record figure of 5.7 million people in England waiting for hospital treatment, and that the figure is growing by 100,000 a month.