NHS health boards in England enforcing minimum patient wait times

An investigation by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) has found that NHS health boards across England are deliberately delaying patient care by enforcing minimum wait times for certain treatments. Using Freedom of Information Act requests, the BMJ analyzed records from 35 of the 36 integrated care boards (ICBs) in England.

Findings indicate that 17 ICBs have introduced minimum waits of between 12 and 16 weeks for key procedures, such as hip, knee, and cataract surgeries. Some regions, including Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and West Yorkshire, have implemented a 16-week minimum wait for all routine procedures. West Yorkshire reported a target where 90 per cent of patients wait at least 16 weeks, a move it claims provides doctors flexibility to prioritize patients at risk of clinical deterioration.

The Royal College of Surgeons expressed concern regarding the scale of these measures, noting they can leave patients in pain, while GP leaders stated the delays are ‘difficult to justify’. ICBs cited reasons such as managing demand, controlling costs, and promoting fairness and equitable access to elective services.