Concerns raised over hospital waiting lists hit by the coronavirus pandemic

Doctors are having to play ‘catch up’ to get on top of patients’ needs, with more than 50,000 people nationally having seen their planned treatment delayed by at least a year.

The Gazette revealed last month how NHS data shows 41% of patients on the waiting list for elective procedures at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust at the end of July had waited longer than the national 18-week target for treatment to start - eight per cent more than the same month last year - with 9,832 patients waiting longer.

Trust bosses said that the pandemic has had a “significant” effect but says it staff have “worked tirelessly” to restore as many routine services as possible and achieved 59% of all patients receiving treatment within 18 weeks alongside its efforts to combat the COVID 19 pandemic.

But it has prompted fears over the impact it could have on South Tyneside’s most deprived communities.

“I’m concerned that other health issues, including mental health, have been neglected during the pandemic,” Hebburn councillor John McCabe told borough health bosses.

“[What is happening] to ensure people with serious, underlying medical conditions are treated as soon as possible?

“There are serious problems with a lot of residents who are not receiving the treatment they’re entitled to.”

Cllr McCabe was speaking at a meeting of the South Tyneside Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Co-ordinating and Call-In Committee, which was held by videolink and broadcast via YouTube.

According to England’s Royal College of Surgeons, COVID-19 has sent a ‘wrecking ball’ through treatment plans.

NHS figures for August showed about two thirds of South Tyneside patients were referred for and received treatment within the official 18-week target window.

Tom Hall, director of public health at the borough council, said: “During the first wave, a lot of planned activity was postponed or stopped because the NHS was ready for a difficult pandemic situation.

“During wave two, as far as I’m aware, all planned activity is continuing.

“They are still trying to work their way through planned activity to make sure there isn’t additional pressure on waiting lists.”

A message from the Editor:

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to the Shields Gazette website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit here to sign up. You can subscribe to the newspaper with 20% off here. Thank you.