More or Less The Stats of the Nation: Health
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Jan 6, 2026 
Stuart McDonald, Head of Longevity at LCP, discusses the stall in UK life expectancy post-COVID and the concerning rise in mortality among younger adults. Ben Zaranko from the Institute for Fiscal Studies highlights productivity issues in the NHS and the disappointing lack of new GPs, while Nathan Gower sheds light on rising GP appointment numbers amid a funding shift. Additionally, Jon Shelton from Cancer Research UK examines escalating cancer rates linked to an aging population and the UK's lag in survival rates compared to other nations.
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Emergency Response Delays Remain Large
- Ambulance waits for serious emergencies peaked at around 90 minutes in Dec 2022 and remain far above target.
- Recent averages sit in the 40–50 minute zone, sometimes improving but still well off target.
Long A&E Delays Became Common
- Since 2021 many winters have seen over 50,000 people waiting more than 12 hours in A&E after admission decision.
- This reflects severe throughput problems caused by full wards and bed-blocking.
Ageing Population Widens NHS Demand
- Population ageing and rising utilisation across ages drive increasing NHS demand.
- Healthcare costs have risen faster than GDP and could push NHS spending from ~8% to ~9.6% of GDP without productivity gains.