DOZENS of NHS patients have waited more than three years for hospital care in England – four of them in one North East trust - new figures show.

Nationally, at least nine have been on the NHS waiting list for over four years.

In the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, there are four patients who have been waiting more than three years for care.

Of the North East trusts that replied to Freedom of Information requests, there were no patients waiting more than three years or four years at the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, Gateshead Health NHS Trust or the Northumberland Health Care Trust.

Read more: British Medical Association warns of pressure on NHS staff

Leading surgeons described the national figures as “shocking” and warned that prolonged waits for pre-planned care could lead to “emotional and physical distress”.

Many of these patients are likely to be in pain or discomfort as they wait to find out when they will be seen by a hospital specialist after being referred by their GP.

A quarter of the longest waiters at the 69 trusts which supplied data are waiting for care for trauma and orthopaedic care – which covers hip and knee replacements.

NHS leaders said they are doing “all they can” to dig into the backlogs but efforts have been hampered by pressures on the emergency care system, Covid cases and high rates of staff absences on top of severe workforce shortages.

To find out how much longer patients had been waiting over the two-year mark, the PA news agency sent Freedom of Information requests to 125 non-specialist acute hospital trusts in England.

Trusts were asked how many patients had been waiting for three years, then four years, and then the longest period a patient had been waiting for an appointment.

Almost 60 patients have been forced to wait for more than three years for pre-planned NHS hospital care in England and a handful have been waiting for at least four years, according to data from 60 NHS trusts.

The latest official figures from NHS England show that a total of 23,778 people in England were waiting more than two years to start routine hospital treatment at the end of January – around nine times the 2,608 people who were waiting longer than two years in April 2021.

But the official data only break down into weeks for patients who have been waiting up to two years.

Once a patient passes this milestone, they are then classed as waiting for “two years or over”, with no further detail provided on how long they have been waiting.

Professor Neil Mortensen, president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, told the news agency: “It is shocking that people have been waiting years for planned NHS hospital treatment. Waiting in limbo for a planned hip, hernia or ear operation can cause real emotional and physical distress.

“Unfortunately, we are hearing from our surgeons that Covid-19 continues to disrupt planned NHS care. This is due to staff being off sick with or testing positive for the virus. Planned operations are also being cancelled because patients have tested positive for the virus.

“This is heart-breaking for patients and very frustrating for surgical teams who desperately want to get planned surgery up and running again. It’s also a reminder that we are not out of the woods yet from the virus.

“It is imperative that NHS staff communicate with patients to keep them informed about how long they will have to wait for planned treatment, and to make sure they are fully supported during this difficult time.”

An NHS spokesperson said: “NHS staff are working flat out to clear the backlogs that have inevitably built up throughout the pandemic with local teams using innovative approaches to reducing waits, such as one-stop shops and Super Saturdays, all while we continue to see busy emergency services and high numbers of hospitalised Covid patients.

“The NHS is expecting a busy Easter weekend for its staff across the country and we continue to urge people to come forward for the care they need, using NHS 111 online where possible – the NHS is here for you.”

More than six million people are currently on the waiting list for NHS hospital care.

Chris Hopson, chief executive of the NHS Providers organisation, which represents NHS Trusts, said: “Trust leaders are only too aware of the impact of delays in treatment for patients and carers.

“They understand the disruption and distress they may cause, and it is a real concern to hear of exceptionally long delays – even though we do not have all the information about these particular examples.

“Trusts are doing all they can to bear down on care backlogs which have increased during the pandemic for hospital, mental health and community services. But they face extraordinary pressures, including the continuing impact of Covid-19.

“There are more than 16,000 patients in hospital beds with the virus, and 28,000 Covid-related staff absences, compounding severe workforce shortages.

“We also have more than 20,000 patients who are medically fit to leave hospital and continue their recovery at or closer to home, but they can’t be discharged because the right care isn’t available.

“This is impacting on the NHS’ ability to cope with very challenging emergency care pressures, and it’s affecting work to bear down on backlogs.”

Newcastle Hospitals chief executive Dame Jackie Daniel has said previously: "The NHS and Government have set out a blueprint to address backlogs built up during the pandemic and to tackle long waits for care, which is something we are increasingly turning our attention to although this is going to take time to fully address.

"Our priority has been to focus on the longest waiters first, particularly patients who have waited over 104 weeks for treatment, and then our patients who have waited over 52 weeks for their operations.

"Our teams are making a concerted effort and working incredibly hard to get these patients – many of whom need particularly complex procedures that can only be provided at a tertiary centre like Newcastle – into hospital as soon as possible.”

The following trusts responded to the Freedom of information requests.

COUNTY DURHAM AND DARLINGTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST – The number of patients waiting for more than three years (156 weeks) at the trust: 0 – The number of patients waiting for more than four years (208 weeks) at the trust: 0 – The longest period of time in weeks that a patient was waiting to start treatment after being referred: 133 – The department the patient was waiting to be seen: Plastic surgery

GATESHEAD HEALTH NHS FOUNDATION TRUST – The number of patients waiting for more than three years (156 weeks) at the trust: 0 – The number of patients waiting for more than four years (208 weeks) at the trust: 0 – The longest period of time in weeks that a patient was waiting to start treatment after being referred: 74

NORTHUMBRIA HEALTHCARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST – The number of patients waiting for more than three years (156 weeks) at the trust: 0 – The number of patients waiting for more than four years (208 weeks) at the trust: 0 – The longest period of time in weeks that a patient was waiting to start treatment after being referred: Information not supplied – The department the patient was waiting to be seen: Information not supplied

THE NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST – The number of patients waiting for more than three years (156 weeks) at the trust: 4 – The number of patients waiting for more than four years (208 weeks) at the trust: 0 – The longest period of time in weeks that a patient was waiting to start treatment after being referred: 159 – The department the patient was waiting to be seen: Spinal surgery.

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