Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has failed to hit its waiting list target – to treat patients within 18 weeks – in each month since September 2015, new figures from the House of Commons Library have shown.

The NHS Constitution says that patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks from GP referral to treatment and Trusts are supposed to ensure that 92% of patients are seen in that time frame. But 114 Trusts across England haven’t met this target since 2019 in total, and 22 trusts haven’t treated patients within 18 weeks at any time since 2015.

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has also failed to meet its A&E target, which is that 95% of patients at A&E should wait less than 4 hours. The Trust had not met the target since June 2021.

The Trust has also not hit its NHS diagnostic target, which says that 99% of patients who are waiting for a diagnostic test or scan should be seen within six weeks, since February 2020.

Labour’s plan to get back to safe waiting times within the first term of government, meeting the 4-hour A&E waiting time target, treatment within 18 weeks, and tests and scans within 6 weeks, includes:

·       Delivering two million more operations and appointments at evening and weekends each year

·       Doubling the number of NHS scanners, buying new AI-enabled scanners to diagnose faster and more accurately

·       Reforming the NHS so it provides more care in the community and stops people needing to go to hospital

·       Delivering the NHS workforce plan, training thousands more doctors and nurses a year

Labour’s plans for more appointments and scanners will be paid for by clamping down on tax avoidance and closing loopholes for non-doms.

Cllr Mark Purvis Northumberland Labours Shadow Cabinet member for Adult Social Care said:

“Waiting times in Northumberland are unacceptable, with patients left waiting months on end to get treatment after they are referred for serious conditions.

“We are in the 10 worst performing NHS Trusts in the country for waiting times for treatment, A&E waiting times and diagnostic waiting times [delete as appropriate].

“Only a Labour government can turn our fortunes around and ensure patients are seen on time.”

Wes Streeting MP, Shadow Health and Social Care Secretary, said:

“On Rishi Sunak’s watch, record numbers of patients are left waiting for hours on end in A&E when delays can cost lives. Under the Conservatives, people can no longer trust the NHS to be there for them when they need it.

“When Labour was last in government, patients were treated in good time, and the maximum waiting time was cut from 18 months to 18 weeks. Labour will get patients treated on time with 2 million more weekend and evening appointments, paid for by clamping down on tax avoidance and closing loopholes for non-doms.

“It’s time to stop the chaos, turn the page and start to rebuild. The country needs change, and only Labour can get the NHS back on its feet.”