As the NHS emerges from the pandemic with hu
ge treatment backlogs and an as-yet-undetermined level of trauma in its workforce, prioritising patients is going to be even more difficult.
This week NHS England said those needing endoscopies or other diagnostics need to go through a prioritisation process like that for elective treatment.
Among electives that means P1 (needing immediate treatment or within three days) to P3 (within three months) to P4 (longer than three months).
As of the end of March it’s not clear what proportion of the 4.95 million people on an elective waiting list in England fall into which category. Or even when they’ll all be assessed.