Delayed medical treatment is becoming more of an issue within the NHS. We knew this subjectively through the claim enquiries we receive. However, we wanted to get a clear idea of the situation, so we set out to conduct our own research on delayed treatment.
Below, you can discover how we conducted our research as well as the statistics and results we’ve compiled from our findings.
If you’re interested in seeing our research data, please contact us here.
How Did We Conduct Our Research?
The NHS constitution states that patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks from GP referral to treatment but waiting times in England have been ‘stubbornly high’ for some time.
As of March 2024, an estimated 7.54 million treatments were waiting to be carried out in England, relating to 6.29 million patients.
Through an in-depth analysis of the latest NHS England Data, Medical Negligence Assist set out to investigate which NHS Trusts had the highest percentage of patients waiting the longest for treatment after being referred as well as those where figures are improving.
Out of all 136 Trusts included in NHS England Data, 11 had more than 50% of patients waiting longer than 18 weeks for treatment after referral. Of these 11, Milton Keynes Trust had the highest percentage of patients waiting more than 4 months.
It comes as the chief analyst at a health and social care charity, says the government must prioritise investment in preventative services to keep people out of hospitals as well as putting money into crumbling NHS buildings in order to combat the deterioration in NHS performance.
Siva Anandacina, of The King’s Trust, says: “The hospital waiting list remains stubbornly high at 7.5 million in March, representing 6.3 million people waiting, often in pain or unable to work, for treatment.
“A&E departments also continue to be under extreme strain as we head towards summer, with over 2.2 million attendances in April, and only 74% of people being seen within four hours.
“It has been nearly a decade since A&E performance targets were reliably met, and there is little prospect of performance substantially improving in the near future.
He adds: “It is patients and staff who are bearing the brunt of the deterioration in NHS performance over the past ten years.
“Successive governments have failed to invest in services to keep people well and outside of hospital. At the same time, NHS buildings and equipment have been allowed to degrade and become dilapidated.
“The government will need to prioritise both these areas if it wants patients to receive the urgent and emergency care they truly need.”
Health and Social Care Secretary, Victoria Atkins said: “NHS staff are working tirelessly to cut the waiting list and recent data shows the biggest six-month reduction in over 10 years outside of the pandemic.
“This is a significant achievement in the context of record pressures and strikes, with NHS analysis showing the list could have fallen by an extra 430,000 since December 2022 without industrial action.”
If treatment for health conditions, injuries or illnesses has fallen below the expected standard of care, medical negligence may be at play.
Head of Medical Negligence at Medical Negligence Assist, Nick Banks said: “Whilst claiming against the NHS can seem daunting, such claims are the best way to ensure funding is made available for all of the patient’s short-term and longer-term needs.
“This can make a real difference to how quickly that patient is able to regain their former quality of life.
“Bringing such claims can also help the medical profession to identify important areas of improvement, hopefully ensuring that no future patients ever fall victim to the same mistakes.”
See the details of our findings for each NHS Trust below.
Our Findings Into Delayed Treatment In The NHS
Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has the highest percentage of patients waiting more than 18 weeks after being referred to treatment out of any UK Trust, with some patients waiting more than 12 months.
64% of patients referred to treatment have been waiting longer than 4 months as of March 2024 – a total of 34,721 people.
What’s more, the majority of patients within Milton Keynes Trust (92%) were waiting 57 weeks or less for their treatment – meaning some patients have been waiting for more than a year.
Out of all 136 Trusts included in NHS England Data, 11 had more than 50% of patients waiting longer than 18 weeks for treatment after referral. Of these 11, Milton Keynes Trust had the highest percentage of patients waiting more than 4 months.
University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust was revealed as having the second-highest percentage of patients waiting more than four months for treatment after being referred.
59% of patients referred to treatment have been waiting longer than 18 weeks as of March 2024 – a total of 141,164 people.
What’s more, the majority of patients within Sussex Trust (92%) were waiting 56 weeks or less for their treatment – meaning some patients have been waiting for more than a year.
James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was revealed as having the third-highest percentage of patients waiting more than four months for treatment after being referred.
56% of patients referred to treatment have been waiting longer than 18 weeks as of March 2024 – a total of 31,485 people.
What’s more, the majority of patients within James Paget Trust (92%) were waiting 57 weeks or less for their treatment – meaning some patients have been waiting for more than a year.
The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust was revealed as having the fourth-highest percentage of patients waiting more than four months for treatment after being referred.
55% of patients referred to treatment have been waiting longer than 18 weeks as of March 2024 – a total of 15,306 people.
What’s more, the majority of patients within RJAH (92%) were waiting 53 weeks or less for their treatment – meaning some patients have been waiting a whole year.
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust was revealed as having the fifth-highest percentage of patients waiting more than four months for treatment after being referred.
53% of patients referred to treatment have been waiting longer than 18 weeks as of March 2024 – a total of 187,109 people.
What’s more, the majority of patients within Manchester NHS Trust (92%) were waiting 51 weeks or less for their treatment.
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust operates three main hospitals; Frimley near Camberley, Heatherwood in Ascot and Wexham Park near Slough.
It was among the NHS Trusts with the highest percentage of patients waiting more than four months for treatment after being referred.
52.6% of patients referred to treatment have been waiting longer than 18 weeks as of March 2024 – a total of 187,109 people.
What’s more, the majority of patients within Frimley NHS Trust (92%) were waiting 51 weeks or less for their treatment.
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust has sites including; Good Hope Hospital, Heartlands Hospital, Solihull Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.
It was among the NHS Trusts with the highest percentage of patients waiting more than four months for treatment after being referred.
52% of patients referred to treatment have been waiting longer than 18 weeks as of March 2024 – a total of 126,717 people.
What’s more, the majority of patients within Birmingham NHS Trust (92%) were waiting 48 weeks or less for their treatment.
The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is among the NHS Trusts with the highest percentage of patients waiting more than four months for treatment after being referred.
51.4% of patients referred to treatment have been waiting longer than 18 weeks as of March 2024 – a total of 15,899 people.
What’s more, the majority of patients within the Trust (92%) were waiting 45 weeks or less for their treatment.
North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust
North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust is among the NHS Trusts with the highest percentage of patients waiting more than four months for treatment after being referred.
51.3% of patients referred to treatment have been waiting longer than 18 weeks as of March 2024 – a total of 82,126 people.
What’s more, the majority of patients within the Trust (92%) were waiting 52 weeks or less for their treatment.
Bolton NHS Foundation Trust
Bolton NHS Foundation Trust is among the NHS Trusts with the highest percentage of patients waiting more than four months for treatment after being referred.
51.1% of patients referred to treatment have been waiting longer than 18 weeks as of March 2024 – a total of 43,816 people.
What’s more, the majority of patients within the Trust (92%) were waiting 51 weeks or less for their treatment.
London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust is among the NHS Trusts with the highest percentage of patients waiting more than four months for treatment after being referred.
51.1% of patients referred to treatment have been waiting longer than 18 weeks as of March 2024 – a total of 102,001 people.
What’s more, the majority of patients within the Trust (92%) were waiting 45 weeks or less for their treatment.
The NHS Trusts with the shortest patient treatment waiting times
Only three NHS Trusts in England came close to meeting the referral-to-treatment waiting time target as of the end of March 2024.
The NHS constitution states that patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks from GP referral to treatment. However, waiting times in England have been ‘stubbornly high’ for some time.
Our investigation reveals that just three of 136 NHS Trusts came anywhere near meeting the target.
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Withington, Manchester had the shortest recorded waiting time for patients who had been referred to treatment with 97.9% waiting within 18 weeks.
Further data shows that 92 out of 100 patients were treated within 12 weeks of being referred – the shortest waiting time out of all UK NHS Trusts.
Second on the list is The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust in Merseyside where 96.4% of patients were waiting within the NHS target of 18 weeks.
92 out of 100 of its patients were seen within 14 weeks.
Lastly, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust in London saw 94.1% of patients who had been referred to treatment, waiting within 18 weeks. 92 out of 100 were treated within 16 weeks.
Learn About Claiming Compensation For Delayed Treatment Medical Negligence
Our team here at Medical Negligence Assist is made up of specialists in delayed treatment claims. They understand the causes and how delays in medical treatment can impact people’s lives.
If you’ve been affected by a delay in treatment, you can access free legal advice and an eligibility check by getting in touch with us.
You can reach out to us now by calling our free helpline at the top of this page or chatting with us now via our live chat. You can also contact us here in writing and we’ll call you at a time of your choosing.
You can also head here to learn all about delayed treatment medical negligence claims.