In February 2023, the staggering number of 7.2 million patients were waiting for treatment in England, with waiting times exceeding 52 weeks. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the waiting list for planned elective NHS treatment, more than doubling its size since its onset. As a result, Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) have been tasked with delivering virtual ward capacity equivalent to 40 to 50 virtual ward "beds" per 100,000 population by December 2023, which amounts to approximately 24,000 virtual ward beds.
