Hospital trust awarded £2m for cutting wait times

A hospital trust in North Yorkshire has been awarded £2m after cutting waiting times for planned care.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (HDFT) is one of eight in the country to receive funding from NHS England's new Elective Capital Investment scheme, which rewards hospitals for cutting the time between referral and treatment.

The national aim is that 92% of patients should be treated within 18 weeks of being referred.

The Harrogate trust has been rewarded with extra money because of a 5.47% improvement in reaching that target between April and September 2025. During the same period it also reduced its waiting list by more than 1,000 patients.

Jonathan Coulter, chief executive of HDFT, said: "Since September, our waiting list has reduced by another 900 patients, showing sustained improvement."

The trust has also been recognised for having no patients waiting over 52 weeks for treatment.

HDFT said the improved waiting times were partly due to an increase in the number of clinics being offered and greater use of operating theatres.

Areas with the longest waiting lists were focussed on to deliver improvements in waiting times, according to the trust.

The trust plans to use the £2m to improve facilities and buy equipment, which it said would help support care and reduce waiting times further.

Russell Nightingale, chief operating officer and deputy chief executive at the trust said: "Reducing waiting times is about more than meeting targets – it is about improving outcomes and experience for patients.

"This investment will help us to improve how we deliver the services we offer, boost productivity, increase efficiency and ensure patients receive the right care, at the right time."

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: "NHS staff and leaders at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust are leading the way to a brighter future for the NHS, so I want to recognise and reward their excellent work."

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