LETCHWORTH:According to NHS targets, no patient should wait longer than 52 weeks for treatment – and 92 per cent should be treated within 18 weeks.

However, latest data shows that of the 54,000 patients waiting for treatment from the East and North Herts NHS Trust, 22,228 have been waiting more than 18 weeks - including many from Letchworth.

It shows that 3,259 patients have been waiting for 52 weeks or more – which is 815 more than in July.

And there are 65 patients who have been waiting for more than two years.

The longest wait currently recorded for a patient at the Trust is reported to be 131 weeks.

The data was presented to a meeting of the East and North Herts NHS Trust Board. According to reports presented to the board, in September 12,218 more patients were seen in clinic than in September 2020.

There are, it says, currently 17 theatres operational at the Lister site – and the Trust is continuing to use the private sector too.

Meanwhile, the latest data does show that the Trust met most targets for patients suspected of having a cancer – including the two-week waits for suspected cancers.

They met all the 31-day targets for subsequent treatment except for those patients requiring surgery, in August – which is the latest available data.

Government targets say cancer-related surgery should be completed within 31 days in 94 per cent of cases – but in August this figure was 86.67.

The East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust operates the Lister Hospital, Hertford County Hospital, the QEII Hospital ad the Mount Vernon Cancer Care Centre.