Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have been waiting more than 12 months for (a) knee and (b) hip replacement surgery in the North East as of 29 April 2024.

Waiting list management information shows that there were 466 people waiting more than 12 months for hip replacement surgery, and 825 people waiting more than 12 months for knee replacement surgery, in acute trusts in the North East and Yorkshire as of 21 April 2024.

The National Health Service has been hit by the most disruptive industrial action in its history, and as of April 2024, approximately 1.4 million hospital appointments have been rescheduled since December 2022. The NHS is working incredibly hard to ensure that those who have been waiting the longest receive treatment as soon as possible, and staff are going above and beyond to make this happen.