Longest waiting times for operations and treatments slashed at King's Mill Hospital in Sutton

The progress means very few patients at the trust’s King’s Mill and Newark hospitals are waiting more than 78 weeks for treatment, as figures released recently by NHS England show waiting times have continued to be significantly reduced by hardworking NHS staff.

The data shows that at the beginning of the year some patients were still waiting more than 18 months for their elective procedures.

The trust worked to reduce its waiting list during January and February, as well as supporting other hospitals to treat their patients earlier.

And the work has been carried out against the backdrop of industrial action, which saw the trust postpone hundreds of less urgent appointments and procedures in order to prioritise emergency care services, to keep patients safe.

Rachel Eddie, SFH chief operating officer, said: “We know there is a patient behind each and every one of these statistics, which is why I would like to thank our patients for their understanding as our hardworking teams continue to do all they can to ensure patients can access the treatment they need and deserve as quickly as possible.

“Our dedicated teams have worked incredibly hard to get people into hospital and treated as soon as possible and I want to pay tribute to them for their continued efforts to reduce the time people have to wait for their procedures – all while they continue to manage ongoing winter pressures, the impact of recent strike action and the long-lasting effects of the pandemic.”

In addition to the thousands of patients who undergo planned treatments across the trust’s hospitals each month, 22,772 patients have been treated in the emergency department at King’s Mill since the beginning of 2023.

Regular check-ups were conducted with patients waiting the longest for treatment throughout this period to ensure their condition did not deteriorate as dedicated Trust staff worked closely to understand patients’ needs, prioritising those in most urgent need.