Responding to new Institute for Fiscal Studies analysis of NHS waiting lists, highlighting the scale of the challenge in returning them to pre-pandemic levels, Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive at NHS Providers said:

"Trust leaders across hospital, mental health and community services are working flat out to reduce record-high waiting times and waiting lists.

"But their efforts are thwarted by a perfect storm of squeezed funding in the NHS, the fallout of the pandemic, severe workforce shortages and strikes.

"Despite incredibly tough circumstances, trusts have made vital progress in tackling care backlogs, including delivering a record number of tests and checks and seeing cancer patient referrals more quickly.

"But trust leaders want to go further and faster. As resolving industrial action would remove one of the biggest blockers to bearing down on care backlogs, the government and health unions must urgently find a way to agree a pay deal.

"Sustained government investment in NHS capital and digital infrastructure, as well as social care reform, are also vital enablers for trusts to cut waiting lists and give patients the timely care they deserve."