The UK Statistics Authority wrote to Karin Smyth MP about NHS waiting lists
The letter, dated 13 June 2024, replies to correspondence of 10 May 2024. The UK Statistics Authority published it as Letter from Sir Robert Chote to Karin Smyth MP: NHS waiting lists
. Below are 3 passages from the letter in the regulator's own words.
What the UK Statistics Authority wrote
“The Referral to Treatment (RTT) statistics for 2023/24 clearly indicate a break in the data series, with a dotted line appropriately separating out February and March 2024, where the changes to submitted data started.”
“The guidance on the recording and reporting of Referral to Treatment (RTT) data was updated on 2 February 2024 to say that community service pathways should, from February 2024, no longer be reported in RTT datasets and should instead be captured in community health services data collections.”
“The Secretary of State’s statement was supported by the data, but greater transparency around the discontinuity in the time period being referred to would have better supported understanding.”
From Sir Robert Chote, Chair, UK Statistics Authority, letter of 13 June 2024. Read the full letter.
Correspondence
- The letter it answered: Karin Smyth MP to Sir Robert Chote – NHS waiting lists (10 May 2024)
Related key figures
More on Karin Smyth.
Receipt
| Read from | https://osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/correspondence/letter-from-sir-robert-chote-to-karin-smyth-mp-nhs-waiting-lists/ |
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| Date read | 15 October 2026 |
| SHA-256 | 4e7414aa33d9938f04fbab79d3b36a852683f9c59da732d00302cdcf33e9cad4 |