Worries about virus impact on referrals in England

As Britain's national health service (NHS) continues to treat coronavirus patients, people are facing long waiting lists for other services such as cancer treatment and elective care.

Peter and Anne Dayton are both waiting to have operations rescheduled, but with the coronavirus crisis still in full flow, they don't know how long it could take.

"I'm 88, by the way. I cannot really expect to be put on as early as a priority." Peter said during an interview with Sky News in their garden in Henley.

Peter is on a long waiting list for a hip replacement, and with his mobility deteriorating, it's a painful wait.

His wife Anne, who is awaiting a gall bladder procedure, said: "At the moment, we're marking time and when you're our age, marking time is not part of your remit. It really isn't."

Dr Jeanette Dickson, President of the Royal College of Radiologists, estimated that the capacity for CT scans and other imaging tests will be about 60% of the pre-COVID capacity because of social distancing rules.

"It's a well-recognised fact that in any emergency situation, any pandemic situation, those who have other illnesses also do worse than they would otherwise because of the movement of a resource towards the pandemic," she said.

(Representative Image)