Updated: 8:32 a.m. April 14, 2022 A patient in the trust who runs Ipswich and Colchester hospitals had to wait more than four years for surgery, it was revealed. Data obtained through the Freedom of Information Act revealed that the patient at the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) waited 235 weeks for oral surgery. This comes as dozens of patients across the UK have had to wait more than three years for pre-planned NHS hospital treatment and few have waited for at least four years, according to data from 60 NHS trusts. West Suffolk Hospital said a data blunder showed that a patient at Bury St Edmunds had waited almost six years (300 weeks), when in fact the patient had turned down an MRI offer in 2016 and was only sent a discharge letter in February. of the current year. Nicola Cottington, managing director of the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, said: It is still an incredibly busy and challenging period. “Our staff is working tirelessly to address the delays that have accumulated during the pandemic, reduce waiting lists and treat patients as quickly and safely as possible.” Neill Moloney, CEO of ESNEFT, added: “Our teams are doing everything they can to address waiting lists and treat our patients in the communities we serve as quickly and safely as possible. “Waiting lists have undoubtedly increased due to the response to the Covid-19 pandemic and its continuing effects, but we do not want anyone to be in pain or wait longer than necessary. “We are working hard to reduce delays in our Trust, including this longer wait in oral and maxillofacial surgery, and prioritize patients based on clinical needs, in line with national guidance for all NHS trusts.” Ipswich Hospital is run by the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) – Credits: Sarah Lucy Brown Leading surgeons described the data as “shocking” and warned that prolonged waiting for pre-planned care could lead to “emotional and physical discomfort”. NHS leaders have said they are doing “everything they can” to investigate delays in care, but efforts have been hampered by pressures on the emergency care system, Covid cases and high absenteeism rates in addition to severe labor shortages. potential. The latest official NHS England figures show that a total of 23,778 people in England waited more than two years to start routine hospital care at the end of January – about nine times the 2,608 people who waited more than two years in April 2021. While there may be significant data reservations – such as patients who choose to delay care for personal reasons – the evidence shows that many patients have been left to wait in pain or suffer for years. Professor Neil Mortensen, president of the Royal College of Surgeons in England, told the news agency: Waiting in a vacuum for a scheduled hip, hernia or ear surgery can cause real emotional and physical discomfort. “Unfortunately, we hear from our surgeons that Covid-19 continues to disrupt NHS scheduled care. This is because staff are sick or positive about the virus. Scheduled surgeries are also canceled because patients tested positive for the virus. “This is heartbreaking for patients and very frustrating for surgical teams who desperately want to start and re-operate scheduled surgery. It is also a reminder that we have not yet escaped the forest from the virus. “It is imperative that NHS staff contact patients to keep them informed of how long they will have to wait for scheduled treatment and to make sure they are fully supported during this difficult time.” More than six million people are currently on the NHS hospital waiting list. While waiting lists have risen sharply due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, those who wait more than three years will be on the pre-pandemic waiting list. The Government and the NHS of England have set the ambition to eliminate all expectations of more than two years, unless it is the patient’s choice, by July 2022. The NHS in England is going to publish the latest data on waiting times on Thursday.
