North Cumbria NHS: Patients facing delays in treatment

An anonymous patient posted on a Carlisle Facebook group last week, sharing that she is awaiting surgery from the North Cumbria Integrated Care gynaecology team, based at the Cumberland Infirmary.

The Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle. (Image: Newsquest)

She asked other members of the platform if they too are facing long waiting times for treatment, receiving 49 replies from others who are either waiting for treatment; have experienced long waits, or know someone who has.

In some cases, those sharing their experience chose to be referred to health services in the North East such as Tyneside Surgical Services, the Royal Victoria Infirmary and Northumbria Healthcare.

One patient reported that they have been waiting for urgent surgery since July while another has waited 50 weeks for treatment since a pre-operation meeting.

NHS England data reveals that in September, 53.6 per cent of NCIC's gynaecology waiting list were treated within 18 weeks of referral.

The NHS constitution states that patients have the right to start non-emergency treatment within 18 weeks of their referral.

A stock image of a hospital ward.

Directors of NCIC have redirected £2.1 million in funding to key areas of concern within the trust, including referral to treatment waiting times.

A spokesperson for the NHS trust said: "We are very sorry to those patients who are experiencing lengthy waits for gynaecology care. We understand how difficult this can be and want to reassure you that we are taking action to improve the situation."

They said: "We have an improvement plan in place to reduce waiting times. This includes adding extra clinics and theatre lists specifically for gynaecology patients."

Directors of North Cumbria Integrated Care at their latest meeting. (Image: Newsquest)

"Our teams are working hard to make these changes as quickly as possible."

The spokesperson said: "We prioritise the most serious cases first and are conducting harm reviews to ensure that people with the greatest need are seen as soon as possible."

NCIC asked patients to get in touch if they are worried about their condition or if their symptoms are getting worse.