As it happened: People suffering as NHS backlog plan delayed - patients' group - BBC News
The scheme to tackle waiting lists in England is on hold due to last-minute concerns in Whitehall.
Let's take a look at the latest daily figures on the spread of Covid worldwide.

There were 5,729 deaths reported around the world, bringing the global total to 5.7 million since the pandemic began.

And with 1.7 million new infections recorded, it means there have been 395.2 million confirmed cases since the virus first emerged.

But in many parts of the world, the spike in cases caused by the appearance of the Omicron variant has begun to subside.

Cases are now clearly falling in Asia, North America and Latin America. In Europe, where cases are highest, the virus is continuing to spread at a greater rate than at any other time in the pandemic.

In the US, cases have fallen sharply but the number of deaths remains high – averaging nearly 2,500 in the past seven days.

Many places in the world are using booster vaccinations to top up immunity and keep the pandemic under control in the face of the Omicron variant.

Among larger countries, Chile has the highest proportion of the population who have had booster jabs, with 67% having had the extra dose.

Denmark, which recently lifted all its Covid restrictions, is second on that list, with 62% having had the booster vaccination.