Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust has outperformed the national average in seven key areas, including Emergency Department and Cancer wait times.

Statistics show a marked improvement in waiting times within the trust from March 2023 to March 2024, despite dealing with a surge in demand—around 10 per cent.

Notably, the Trust has shown a 10 per cent leap in early cancer diagnoses and has cut more than half the waiting times for diagnostic tests.

For the first time in over a decade, the Trust accomplished a year-on-year improvement in waiting times in the Emergency Department, notably delivering ahead of the national average.

These leaps in performance were achieved while tackling a spike in referrals, seen in a 9 per cent rise in cancer referrals and an equal surge in referrals to the Trust's community teams.

This success is credited to the dedication of the Trust's workforce and pioneering strategies such as increasing recruitment, even doubling the number of Emergency Department consultants.

The Trust has also innovated operations, including launching a specially dedicated Skin Cancer Centre in Amersham, and improved efficiency by running all-day operating schedules, effectively increasing the volume of daily surgeries.

Raghuv Bhasin, Chief Operating Officer at the Trust, detailed how these improvements came about.

He said: "Thanks to the dedication our colleagues, and support from our partners, we have made significant improvements to the waiting times for patients in Buckinghamshire.

"We have much to look forward to in 2024/25 as we continue to reduce waiting times including additional MRI and CT scanners, a new ward at Stoke Mandeville and a centre of excellence for ophthalmology.

"I am confident with the team we have in place in the Trust and wider system that we will continue to drive improvements in the care and waiting times in the coming years."

In response to these improvements, Zoe McIntosh, Chief Executive, Healthwatch Bucks, praised the ongoing efforts of the Trust.

She said: "We’re delighted to see the significant improvements Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust have made in reducing waiting times for patients in Buckinghamshire and are grateful to the staff who made this happen.

"We look forward to this progress continuing over the coming year and the positive impact this will undoubtedly have on the experience and outcomes for patients."

Overall, the Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust stands at the forefront of NHS Trusts, boasting a spot among the top three Trusts with the most improved performances in the South East.