Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how NHS England waiting lists for hospital appointments are adjusted to take account of people who have died while waiting for an appointment.

Cutting waiting lists is one of the Prime Minister’s top priorities, and we are committed to ensuring patients get the care they need when they need it.

Providers should ensure that all patient pathways recorded relate to patients still in need of care, as part of their routine management of waiting lists. If a patient dies whilst on an elective waiting list, the corresponding patient pathway should be removed from the list and recorded appropriately.