'NHS is struggling to keep pace with demands of hospital waiting lists'

Tens of thousands of patients are still waiting for hospital treatment in Sunderland and South Tyneside despite medical staff cutting the queue by nearly 4,000 in a year.

- by Echo Reporter

NHS England figures show 58,022 patients were waiting for non-urgent elective operations or treatment at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust at the end of June-up slightly from 57,665 in May, but a decrease on 61,762 in June 2024.

Of those, 18 had been waiting for longer than a year and the average waiting time from referral to treatment at the Trust was nine weeks-down from 10 weeks in May.

A spokesperson for the Trust-which runs Sunderland Royal Hospital and South Tyneside District Hospital - said it is working alongside other Trusts to tackle waiting lists as quickly as possible.

They added: "We know it can be a difficult time when people are waiting to find out when their treatment will take place.

"We can offer our assurances as much as possible is being done to see them as soon as we're able to."