NHS England figures show a steady increase in patients waiting for non-urgent elective operations or treatment at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay (UHMBT).

There were 28,094 patients waiting for this kind of treatment at the end for June, up from 27,591 in May. 

931, or 3 per cent of people on the current waiting list, have been waiting for longer than a year. 

The median waiting time from referral at an NHS Trust to treatment at UHMBT was 10 weeks.

Separate figures show 1.6 million patients in England were waiting for a key diagnostic test in June – the same as in May.

READ MORE: Morecambe Bay hospitals under pressure amid 'huge rise' in demand

At the UHMBT, 7,985 patients were waiting for one of 14 standard tests, such as an MRI scan, non-obstetric ultrasound or gastroscopy.

Of them, 608 or 8 per cent, had been waiting for at least six weeks.

Other figures show that of 90 patients urgently referred by the NHS who were treated at UHMBT in June, 52 were receiving cancer treatment within two months.

The Department of Health and Social Care said it is making progress in "busting the Covid backlogs."

A spokesperson said: "The pandemic put unprecedented pressure on the NHS and we are hugely grateful to staff for their tireless work."