More than five million people were waiting for surgery and routine treatment at the end of May - the highest figure since records began.

New NHS England data shows that a total of 5.3 million people were on the waiting list at the end of May - the highest since records began in August 2007.

In May, 242,064 people were admitted, a four-fold rise from the 54,550 a year earlier. The NHS admitted nearly 295,881 people for routine treatment in May 2019, before the pandemic struck, suggesting the service is getting close to dealing with pre-Covid numbers of patients.

The data also indicates that the number of people admitted to hospital for surgery and routine treatment is getting back to pre-pandemic levels.

NHS England highlights how the number of people waiting longer than 18 and 52 weeks to begin non-urgent treatment has fallen, with patients waiting longer than 18 weeks for elective care dropping by more than 80,000 while those waiting more than a year fell by 50,000 for the second month in a row. However, at 336,733, it is still about 13 times higher than the year before.

Professor Stephen Powis, NHS Medical Director, said: “Despite the huge disruption we have seen to care caused by the pandemic and the more than 405,000 Covid patients in our hospitals over the last 15 months, it is reassuring to see in today’s figures significant reductions in waits for routine operations, and for the first time this year, a reduction in the number of patients waiting more than 18 weeks for treatment.

“All the while, NHS staff have dealt with rising numbers of A&E attendances while continuing to roll out the NHS Covid Vaccination Programme and I would urge anyone who needs a routine operation to come forward, and anyone who needs urgent care, to go to NHS 111 Online or call 111 so that the best option for you can be determined.”