'The trust are doing absolutely the right thing to focus on long waits'

THE Health Secretary could not guarantee that patients will not be treated in corridors this winter on a visit to Royal Derby Hospital, amid a local waiting list “struggle”.

- EDDIE BISKNELL

During a visit to Derby, Wes Streeting, announcing a reduction in national waiting lists, said he was aware of the struggles in the city hospital trust.

Nationally, waiting lists have fallen by 250,000 patients but the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust reports its referral to treatment waiting list sits stagnant at 108,000, up from 102,000 this time last year.

Its “worst-case” scenario prediction of clearing its list of patients waiting more than a year by June 2025 is now set to be exceeded with over 100 patients waiting more than 52 weeks.

Mr Streeting said: “I’m not just here to bang the drum about things that are going well, I'm here to hear about the challenges as well and Derby has had its fair share of challenges in terms of getting the waiting list down.

“I must say, I am really impressed with what I have seen.

“I think the hospital leadership are focusing on all the right things in terms of bringing down the waiting list, they've focused particularly on the longest waiters, people waiting over a year.

“The trust are doing absolutely the right thing to focus on those long waiters.

“Last week they went through over 2,000 patients on their waiting list.

“They are putting their foot down on the accelerator.