Trusts failed to act on 9,000 lost patients for five years

Clinicians and managers knew of problems with an ear, nose, and throat waiting list five years before a backlog of nearly 9,000 patients came to light, an NHS England review has found.

Despite managers and clinicians being aware, there was no evidence concerns were “acted upon either clinically or operationally”, said the review, which was carried out by a senior operational director in NHSE’s South East region.

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Source: HSJ, 3 August 2026