HUNDREDS more patients were added to the waiting list for routine treatment at University Hospitals Dorset Trust (UHD) in December, figures show.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has set out plans to help the NHS recover from Covid-19, as the number of people on waiting lists reached record levels nationally – but he has said they will continue to rise for another two years.

NHS England figures show 52,955 patients were waiting for non-urgent elective operations or treatment at UHD at the end of December – up from 52,370 the month before.

December's figure was also 20 per cent more than a year earlier, when there were 43,983 patients on the waiting list.

The median waiting time from referral to treatment was 13 weeks in December, compared to 12 weeks a year earlier.

It meant 62 per cent of patients started treatment within the NHS’s target time of 18 weeks – slightly lower than last month, when 64 per cent of patients began treatment on time.

The Government and NHS England have set an ambition of eliminating all waits of more than a year by March 2025.

Separate NHS figures show UHD breached its cancer waiting time target in December.

The NHS states 85 per cent of cancer patients urgently referred by a GP should start treatment within 62 days.

But at the trust, 70 per cent of patients who received cancer treatment in December were seen within two months of an urgent referral.

That was down from 71 per cent in November, and down from 77 per cent the previous December.

Trusts must also tell at least 75 per cent of those urgently referred for a cancer check, whether they have the disease within 28 days.

The figures show the Dorset University Hospitals Trust fell below the target, with 65 per cent of patients being told the outcome on time in December.

Measures announced by the Government to tackle issues within the health service, include prioritising diagnosis and treatment, increasing activity through dedicated surgical hubs, and hiring 15,000 more care workers by the end of March.

NHS national medical director Professor Stephen Powis said: “While pressures remain for our staff, with the highest number of life-threatening ambulance callouts and 111 calls for the month of January, NHS staff are committed to bringing down the backlog, and the clear plan published this week will help increase the number of checks, tests and treatment provided for patients.”