Hard work at hospital pays off as waiting lists fall significantly

WAITING times at hospitals run by the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) are better than the national average, the trust has said.

- by KIRSTIE MCCRUM

Performance figures for April show more than 70% of patients were waiting less than the 18 weeks set by the NHS as the target time between referral and treatment.

The national average figure is just below 60%.

The RCHT says its waiting list has consistently averaged about 41,000 patients during this calendar year, a significant reduction compared to a peak of 48,751 in May 2023.

It says it is also celebrating its success in reducing long waits; it currently ranked as the third best-performing trust in the South West in terms of the number of patients waiting more than 52 weeks for treatment.

The trust runs the Royal Cornwall Hospital at Treliske in Truro, West Cornwall Hospital at Penzance and St Michael's Hospital in Hayle.