More than 8,000 people had been waiting longer than 52 weeks for assessment and treatment at Lincolnshire’s hospitals at the end of 2022.
Figures presented to Lincolnshire County Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday, show that by the end of December, 8,204 patients were waiting 52 weeks or longer and of those 965 had waited longer than 78 weeks.
Councillors were told that United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust’s ambition was to reduce the 78-week waits to zero by the end of March this year in line with government policy, but also to have none waiting more than 65 weeks by March 2024 and 52 weeks by March 2025. Ahead of that they want no more than 700 patients waiting 52 weeks from next year.
ULHT Chief executive Andrew Morgan told the committee: “Pre-pandemic we would not have had anyone waiting more than 52 weeks for treatment, that was the absolute maximum and our reported figure for that time – March 2020 – was at zero.
“So you can see during the pandemic, all the changes that happened, all the delays that have happened, and the resurgence after the pandemic… our waiting lists and waiting times have built up.”
He said the trust was working to reduce the numbers, adding: “We never forget that each of those numbers is a real live person, somebody else’s loved one waiting for treatment, somebody who may be in pain, may be in distress, may be in discomfort, not knowing what the future holds for them.”
Bosses said work to solve the problem included increasing capacity through new facilities such as the diagnostic centres and operating theatres in Grantham (and another planned for Boston) as well as maximising the use of the independent sector.
Michelle Harris, Director of Operations, at ULHT later told councillors that the there were currently about 600 patients who had waited longer than 78 weeks but that there was now the capacity to cope with them.
Councillors questions to the trust included the progress so far, the use of facilities by private companies and the biggest challenges to the ambitions of management to tackle waiting lists.
The committee noted the “improvements and pace of delivery for patients”, welcomed the actions being taken and requested a further update in 12 months time.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
Exciting news for MyLocal app users and The Lincolnite readers! Our latest update is now available to download from your app store and comes packed with the best local news experience you can enjoy.
Revamped News Feed: Enjoy faster loading times and smoother scrolling that make catching up on local news a breeze.
New Play Video Feed: Dive into a dynamic video feed that brings local stories to life in a whole new way.
Enhanced In-App Browser: Access external links quickly and efficiently, right from the app, without any distractions.
Update your MyLocal app from your app store (version 2.73) now and start enjoying these great new features today!
P.S.: Start your MyLocal membership today to support MyLocal and The Lincolnite deliver you a better local news experience and honest journalism from across Lincolnshire.
P.P.S.: We have some huge things in the pipeline, stay tuned!
Exciting news for MyLocal app users and The Lincolnite readers! Our latest update is now available to download from your app store and comes packed with the best local news experience you can enjoy.
Revamped News Feed: Enjoy faster loading times and smoother scrolling that make catching up on local news a breeze.
New Play Video Feed: Dive into a dynamic video feed that brings local stories to life in a whole new way.
Enhanced In-App Browser: Access external links quickly and efficiently, right from the app, without any distractions.
Update your MyLocal app from your app store (version 2.73) now and start enjoying these great new features today!
P.S.: Start your MyLocal membership today to support MyLocal and The Lincolnite deliver you a better local news experience and honest journalism from across Lincolnshire.
P.P.S.: We have some huge things in the pipeline, stay tuned!