GP columnist criticises Wes Streeting over claims of falling NHS waiting lists

A GP and television presenter, Dr Renee Hoenderkamp, writes that the reported fall in NHS waiting lists claimed by Health Secretary Wes Streeting is misleading and could be harmful to patients. In her column, she says she has observed a pattern over the past year in her busy North London GP practice, suggesting that patients are experiencing delays in access to care even as headline waiting-list figures appear to improve. The piece argues that changes in how waiting lists are counted or presented can create a “sleight of hand,” which she contends does not reflect patients’ day-to-day experiences. The article is presented as an opinion piece based on the author’s observations in a clinical setting rather than new, independently verified statistics. It focuses on the relationship between official measures of waiting times and reported access to services, while disputing the implication that falling totals necessarily mean care is improving for patients.