NHS waiting list 'could hit 10 million this year' in UK

The number of people waiting for National Health Service (NHS) treatment could hit 10 million by the end of the year in the UK, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the NHS Confederation on Wednesday.

Challenges include a backlog of cases, maintaining social distancing, and staffing, according to the organization.

Projections by the NHS Confederation show that the NHS waiting list is expected to rise from about 4.2 million currently to about 10 million by Christmas.

On the same day, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the government wanted to reopen the country's hospitality industry as quickly as possible, although not before the planned date of July 4.

Johnson said Britain was now getting the virus under control and as the number of cases fell, the government would keep under review its rule that people should maintain a two-meter social distance.

The country has registered 290,581 COVID-19 infections and 40,968 deaths so far, according to data released by Johns Hopkins University.