The number of patients waiting six months or more for surgery has trebled over the past four years in England, says the Royal College of Surgeons. 

NHS England said it had cut the number of patients waiting more than a year for treatment. A spokeswoman said: ‘The NHS has cut the number of patients waiting more than a year for treatment by nearly 13,000 over the past five years, and spending on non-urgent surgery is continuing to rise.'