Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals Has England’s Second-Longest Wait for Treatment

The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been identified as having the second-highest count of patients in England awaiting pre-planned treatment for at least 18 months. This institution was among nine NHS trusts nationwide noted for their elevated patient waiting lists. Previously, Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting stated that hospitals failing to improve patient care would be “named and shamed” in league tables, and their NHS managers would face dismissal. Chris Cobb, the chief operating officer at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals, commented: “We continually review our waiting lists and we are prioritising cancer, the most urgent and longest-waiting patients.” In August, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) assessed the hospital as “requires improvement.” The CQC’s inspection specifically noted the hospital as performing the worst in the East of England concerning ambulance handover times, delays between patient referral and treatment, and waiting periods for cancer treatment. Nevertheless, Rob Assall, the CQC director of operations for the East of England, indicated that improvements have occurred since the inspection. Data revealed that by the close of September, 2,703 patients across England had been waiting a minimum of 18 months to commence NHS hospital treatment. Of this total, 168 patients were awaiting care at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, accounting for 6.2% of individuals facing an 18-month or longer wait for pre-planned treatment. As of the same period, 249,343 patients in England had been waiting at least one year to begin treatment. Mr. Cobb stated: “It is a priority of ours to accelerate our elective recovery to ensure patients can access care when they need it, which includes a programme of work to increase elective and day case activity and to also increase the number of new outpatient appointments as well as the proportion of patient-initiated follow ups.” He further explained that to mitigate waiting periods, extra theatre lists and clinics are conducted on weekends, and patients are provided options for treatment at alternative hospitals. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care affirmed its commitment to addressing waiting times “head on” by providing an additional 40,000 appointments weekly. The spokesperson added: “Patients have been let down for too long while they wait for the care they need.” They also noted that September recorded a reduction in the waiting list size, and with the additional investment secured in the Budget, the aim is to “cut waiting lists further, get patients seen faster and build an NHS fit for the future.”