One patient left waiting more than two years for procedure at hospital trust
Just one patient was left waiting more than two years for a procedure at the start of this month, hospital bosses have revealed.
University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM) NHS Trust, which runs Royal Stoke and Stafford’s County Hospital, is continuing to tackle treatment backlogs which have left hundreds of patients waiting more than a year for planned procedures.
Earlier this year a national NHS target was set to eliminate waits of more than 18 months by April. But UHNM still has more than 170 patients who have not been treated within this 78-week period, board members heard this month, and the number has been affected by industrial action which led to hundreds of operations being cancelled.
Deputy chief operating officer Katy Thorpe said: “We ended August with three 104-week patients, and there was one at the end of September, who is being treated (this month). As for 78-week patients the prediction for the end of September was 178.”
A report to this month’s board meeting said that without industrial action the predicted number of 78-week waits at the end of September would have been 98. It added : “The focus has moved to 65 week waiters with an annual plan to reduce them to below 200 patients by end of March 2024 but National ask of 0.
“There are a number of specialties which are challenged with this including spines, ophthalmology, maxfac, plastics, paeds orthopaedics, gastro, respiratory and neurology. The un-validated 65 week position for August was 1,340, down from July’s 1,352.”
Board chairman David Wakefield asked: “I’m mindful there are 65 (week waits) and 78 (week waits). Can you assure us, whether it’s 65 or 78 week waits, patients are prioritised over clinical priorities?”
Ms Thorpe replied: “Absolutely. We monitor it on a weekly basis.”
