The health service is marking a milestone in recovery plan, with the longest waits now "virtually eliminated".
The NHS says the number of people waiting two years or more for treatment in England has now been been "dramatically reduced", reports The Manc.
As part of its plan to address delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and following the calls last week for it to routinely publish non-hospital waiting lists after it emerged that more than one million people are waiting for care in the community, NHS England says the backlog of people having to wait more than two years for a routine operation has now shrunk from 22,500 at the start of the year to fewer than 200.
On top of that, some 51,000 people who would have been waiting two years for treatment by the end of July have also now been treated.
The NHS said the first part of its Elective Recovery Plan addressed those patients "waiting two years or more by the end of July", who needed either "scans, checks, surgical procedures and other routine treatment".
In an attempt to reduce the backlog, the NHS said patients have been offered travel and accommodation costs to be treated in alternative parts of the country.
All were prioritised unless they "chose to wait longer" or "did not want to travel to be seen faster".
The waitlist has now been reduced to 2,777 "despite COVID and other pressures, of whom 1,579 opted to defer treatment and 1,030 are very complex cases," the NHS confimed.
"Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our staff the NHS has delivered the first mile-stone in our Elective Recovery Plan," explained Amanda Pritchard - Chief Executive at NHS England.
"It has only been possible because the NHS has continued to reform the way we deliver care, using innovative techniques and adopting pioneering technology like robot surgery, and through building new relationships and mutual aid arrangements across systems to offer patients the opportunity to be transferred elsewhere and get the care they need as quickly as possible."
/ Credit: gov.uk
"The next phase will focus on patients waiting longer than 18 months," she added.
"Building on the fantastic work already done, and, while it is a significant challenge, our remarkable staff have shown that, when we are given the tools and resources we need, the NHS delivers for our patients."
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay added: "We are working hard with the NHS to get our health system back to peak performance, by growing the healthcare workforce, opening new community diagnostic centres and surgical hubs across the country, and investing in innovative technology to ensure patients can access the treatment they need while saving staff time".
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Ilkley crowned the best place to live in the north by The Sunday Times
The beautiful spa town of Ilkley has been crowned the best place to live in the north of England by The Sunday Times.
The results are in, and our very own Ilkley has taken the top spot for the north and north-east category.
The list posted but the Sunday Times every year, features 72 locations across the UK that they deem are the best spots to settle down in.
Judges visited each location to take in the atmosphere, explore the history and chat to the locals to find out what made each place so special.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
It's not the first time the wonderful spa town of Ilkley has been praised, having been the national winner back in 2022 it's no stranger to taking home the trophy.
The judging panel said about Ilkley: “It’s not just the fresh air, fantastic scenery, excellent schools and direct trains to Leeds that make Ilkley this year’s pick of the north and northeast. It’s the get-up and go of a community that tackles every challenge with gusto.”
"It's hard to imagine anywhere with more opportunities for youngsters."
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Also getting a mention in the regional category was Horsforth, which was recommended for its transport links, brilliant local schools and thriving social scene.
The guide said: "The city is Yorkshire's economic powerhouse - but for something a bit greener, a bit more family friendly, it's hard to better Horsforth's streets of sandstone houses."
Elsewhere up north, Sheffield got a special shoutout where the judges said: "Burgeoning creative industries and judicious regeneration are igniting interest in previously overlooked postcodes ... Hipsters and happy families alike are celebrating, welcoming, embracing, loving this city-wide vibe."
So if you fancy escaping the hustle and bustle of the city centre, then why not hop on a train and visit the best place to live up north and see for yourselves what the fuss is all about.
Adolescence tops Netflix charts with more than 24 million views in four days
Emily Sergeant
New British series Adolescence has shot right to the top of Netflix’s most-watched TV charts after more than 24 million people tune in.
Hitting the streaming platform just last Thursday, Adolescence is a four-part limited series about a 13-year-old boy who is accused of murdering one of his classmates, with each episode remarkably being filmed in one unflinching and continuous shot.
This truly gripping story unfolds in real time as the main characters search for answers in the wake of a shocking tragedy.
Who is actually responsible? Why did it happen? And could it have been prevented?
Image: Netflix
Co-created and written by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, with Graham starring alongside an ensemble cast of accomplished actors such as Ashley Walters and Erin Doherty, as well as screen newcomer Owen Cooper as the young boy Eddie Miller, accused of murder, the show tells the story of how a family’s world is turned upside.
“We could have made a drama about gangs and knife crime, or about a kid whose mother is an alcoholic or whose father is a violent abuser,” Stephen Graham said ahead of the show‘s release.
Image: Netflix
“Instead, we wanted you to look at this family and think, ‘My God, this could be happening to us.’ And what’s happening here is an ordinary family’s worst nightmare.”
Over the course of the four intense one-shot episodes, the show shines a uncomfortable spotlight on and examines key themes such as male rage, the dangers of social media, cyberbullying, incel culture, and more.
The latest viewing figures show that Adolescence undoubtedly has been a runaway hit, with a whopping 24.3 million views amassed in its first four days of availability, making it the streaming platform’s top show for the week of 10-16 March.
Image: Netflix
As the show continues to garner universal acclaim, standing at 98% on notable critic website Rotten Tomatoes, those viewing figures are set to clock up thick and fast as the days go on.
While Adolescence and Jamie’s story isn’t based on a real person or event specifically, Graham, Thorne, and director Philip Barantini have confirmed that the idea for the series did spring from reports that co-creator Graham had heard about on the news of young boys being involved in knife crimes – particularly the shocking 2021 murder of Ava White in Liverpool.
Much of Adolescence was filmed in Pontefract in West Yorkshire, with the casting of Cooper in the role of Jamie ultimately influencing where the show was shot.
“We knew it was going to be set somewhere in the North of England, and we also knew it would be from somewhere around wherever our Jamie was from – in this case near Warrington – because it would have been unfair to make him do an accent,” explained director Philip Barantini.
All four episodes of Adolescence are now available to stream on Netflix.
The Hoot -
11th August 2022 
