An east London NHS Trust has continued to record reductions in its waiting lists, though several other targets have once again been missed. 

In data for October last year, Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust (BHRUT) had begun treatment with 65.35 per cent of cancer patients within two months from the date it received an urgent referral, against an NHS target of 85pc. 

BHRUT’s chief executive, Matthew Trainer, wrote in his latest stakeholder update: “This has remained steady since the pandemic and we are working hard to address delays in the cancer pathways with our partners at Barts Health, in primary care and across NEL.” 

In his report, Mr Trainer notes two other areas where the trust missed targets.

One was in the number of patients being diagnosed or having cancer ruled out within 28 days of being referred. In October, BHRUT achieved 71.26pc, short of the NHS’s Faster Diagnostic Standard of 75pc for the first time in 12 months. 

Mr Trainer said this was due to “reduced capacity in our dermatology department and delays in diagnostic reporting”. 

The other, he added, was for patients waiting to see a specialist within two weeks of an urgent cancer referral, achieving 89.46pc against the target of 93pc. However, this constitutes a 9pc improvement on August. 

Despite these, overall waiting lists have continued to decrease at BHRUT. The total number of patients on waiting lists in December was 60,280, down more than 3,000 in three months, with the vast majority being outpatients. 

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Those waiting more than a year had also decreased, from 1,928 in June to 1,542 in November. 

In addition to waiting lists, Mr Trainer wrote on issues including a shortage of mental health beds, and the financial status of the trust, with a deficit of £15 million expected at the end of the financial year. 

“In 12 months, our spend on high-cost temporary staff has reduced from £100m to £84m (£52m bank staff, £32m agency),” he wrote. “We hope to be in a position soon where nine out of every ten colleagues will be employed directly by the trust, with bank shifts meeting seasonal demand.”