A record number of patients were waiting for routine treatment across Hertfordshire hospitals in June, figures show.

NHS digital figures show 27,077 patients were waiting for elective surgery - operations planned in advance - or treatment at West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust at the end of June – up from 25,822 at the end of May.

This is the highest figure for the month of June since records began in 2011.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid warned that waiting lists across England will keep rising, despite the number of patients waiting for treatment reaching a new national record – 5.45 million.

Mr Javid said: “The NHS has rightly focused on Covid in this horrible pandemic and that has meant, sadly, that waiting lists have risen.”

Around seven million people who might have needed care during the pandemic are estimated to have stayed away and as some of them come forward to the NHS, there will be further increases in waiting lists, he said.

He added that an extra £29 billion has gone into the NHS and social care budget this year, and the Government will look at what more it needs to do.

Professor Stephen Powis, NHS England national medical director, said the health service is experiencing one of its busiest summers ever – dealing with record patient numbers, and delivering the biggest vaccine rollout in its history.

The Health Foundation said the latest data “highlights the difficult juggling act the NHS faces in meeting emergency pressures, restoring services and addressing the backlog of care while Covid cases still remain high”.

Tim Gardner, senior policy fellow at the charity, added: “The Government and NHS leaders now need to be clear and realistic with the public about how they intend to get the NHS back to full strength.

“There will need to be significant investment at the upcoming spending review if we are to see improvement on waiting lists and addressing the staff shortages which are holding back progress.”