An NHS trust has identified 8,849 patients whose referrals to ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists were “not correctly managed”, leading to “unnecessary” delays in care.
The patients were waiting for ENT appointments provided by Medway NHS Foundation Trust (MNFT) operating out of Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham and Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford.
Approximately 20% of those affected are children, and a few patients have waited as much as five years to be seen, the trust confirmed.
It said it was “very sorry” for the delays caused to patients and has commissioned an independent investigation.
Some 4,279 adults and children were awaiting a first outpatient appointment after a referral, while 4,570 existing patients were awaiting a follow-up appointment, diagnostic test or procedure.
Jonathan Wade, chief executive of Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust and interim chief executive of Medway NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are very sorry for the unnecessary delay experienced by some of our ENT patients.
“We are in the process of contacting patients to apologise and make arrangements for them to be seen as quickly as possible.”
The delays affected patients predominantly in the Dartford, Gravesham, Swanley, Bexley and Greenwich areas.
When these referrals were first received, they were reviewed by a clinician and assessed as routine, meaning that no urgent concerns, such as cancer, were identified at the time, the trust has said.
Mr Wade added “We have taken immediate action to ensure referrals to this service are correctly managed, with stronger oversight and improved systems in place.
“A full, independent investigation has been commissioned to understand how the error occurred and if anyone has come to harm as a result of these unnecessary delays.
“We are committed to learning from this so that it does not happen again.”
MNFT declined to comment on whether the commissioned investigation has begun, and how long it will take.
