The number of people waiting more than a year for an operation has rocketed from 1,600 to 400,000, the Health Secretary has told Cabinet.
Steve Barclay highlighted the incredible 24,900% increase since before the pandemic as Rishi Sunak warned the country faces a "challenging" winter ahead.
At a Cabinet meeting, ministers discussed the spiralling NHS waiting lists, soaring inflation and strikes hitting swathes of the public sector.
