More than 320,000 patients were waiting to start routine hospital treatment in region at end of June

It comes as junior doctors will walk out again tomorrow morning, with the strike action continuing until 7am on Tuesday.

NHS bosses expect the latest round of junior doctors strikes will again significantly disrupt services for patients, with the additional challenge that organisations are unable to use agency workers to cover staff out on strike following a recent ruling by the High Court.

Data published by NHS England today revealed 7.6 million people in the country were waiting to start treatment at the end of June, up from 7.5 million in May.

The figure is the highest since records began in 2007.

Locally, the data shows there were 81,208 patients waiting to start treatment at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, which runs New Cross Hospital, at the end of June.

The figure was 78,640 at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, which runs County Hospital in Stafford and Royal Stoke University Hospital.

There were 77,331 patients waiting at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust; 49,264 at The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust and 33,574 at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust.

Overall the region's trusts saw a rise in the number of patients waiting for non-urgent elective operations or treatment from the end of May, when the figure was 315,795.

The Government and NHS England vowed to eliminate all waits of more than 18 months by April 2023 - excluding exceptionally complex cases or patients who choose to wait longer - with the aim of stopping waits of more than a year by March 2025.

The publication of the figures comes after the NHS announced that patients affected by backlogs could skip the queue at their local hospital if they are willing to travel to other parts of England.

The health service is extending the use of a "matching platform" where patients are "matched" with providers of the service they need outside their local area.

The system was initially launched in January for patients needing a hospital admission, but will now include cancer, diagnostic checks and outpatient appointments.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made cutting waiting lists one of his priorities for 2023, pledging in January that "lists will fall and people will get the care they need more quickly".

However, he has said strikes across the health service are making the task "more challenging".

Industrial action has been ongoing since December 2022 in the NHS, leading to the postponement of almost 835,000 appointments.

Patients in the Black Country are being urged to use services wisely during the latest round of industrial action but bosses say the NHS will still be available for urgent and emergency care.

Dr Ananta Dave, chief medical officer for the Black Country Integrated Care Board, said: “The NHS continues to face high demand and staff are working hard to provide patients with the best possible care during what is already a busy period of the summer in the NHS.

“During the upcoming industrial action, it is really important that patients who need urgent medical care continue to come forward as normal, especially in emergency and life-threatening cases. However, if it is non-life threatening, please think about which is the most appropriate service for your needs."

Hospital consultants will also be taking strike action for 48 hours from 7am on August 24, just ahead of the August bank holiday weekend.