Waiting lists down at West Suffolk Hospital but 'long way to go'

A hospital boss said falling waiting times for operations and other medical procedures was fantastic progress, but more needed to be done.

Waiting lists down at West Suffolk Hospital but 'long way to go'. At West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, 29,000 patients are currently waiting for a planned procedure - a reduction of 6,000 from the previous year. About 66% of patients have been receiving treatment within the 18-week target. The national average is 65.3%, and the Labour government has a target of 92% by the end of the Parliament in 2029. Nicola Cottington, chief operating officer, said despite considerable progress that has been made, 66% is not where we want to be, there's still a long way to go. The overall size of the waiting list across the country has improved, falling from 7.2m to 7.1m in the space of a month - the lowest for three-and-a-half years. Cottington said the fall in waiting lists at West Suffolk Hospital had been due to a combination of thi...