Thousands waiting more than two years for scans, checks and surgery have finally been treated.
to be treated in an alternative part of the country.
It has now shrunk to 168 patients, who mostly live in the South West - the area worst affected by Covid staff absences and pressure on the health service.Consultant Gavin Jennings says his hospital has been innovative in the way it has treated extra patients to bring down waiting lists And the private hospital, now owned by a local NHS trust, plans to take a growing number, from greater distances, for a wide variety of orthopaedic surgery and eye procedures.Waiting longer
NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard said the health service had continued to reform the way it delivered care, "using innovate techniques and adopting pioneering technology, like robot surgery"."There is a long way to go with mental health, community and hospital care backlogs, and to relieve pressure on ambulance services," said Saffron Cordery, the interim chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts.