Ear, nose and throat concerns ignored since 2020

Doctors and managers knew about problems with an ear, nose and throat (ENT) service years before nearly 9,000 patients were discovered to be missing from a waiting list, an NHS review has found.

A total of 8,849 patients were waiting to be seen by an ENT service run by Medway NHS Foundation Trust at Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford.

The review found concerns about the service had been raised as early as 2020, but there was no evidence they were properly acted on.

An NHS England spokesperson said: "The missed opportunities to act earlier and ensure patients were not waiting unnecessarily are inexcusable."

Last year, it emerged that some patients had waited up to five years for appointments.

First reported by the Health Service Journal, the review found 88 patients had suffered what was described as "low harm" as a result of the delays.

The investigation by NHS England's South East team found the main problem was the lack of a reliable system to track patients waiting for treatment.

It said clinicians at Medway and managers at both Medway and Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trusts were aware of concerns about the service from 2020 onwards.

The review found issues were discussed at meetings, but there was no evidence they were escalated or addressed.

It also found that reduced clinic capacity between 2019 and 2025 meant fewer patients could be seen, while staff focused on urgent cancer referrals.

Some evidence suggested concerns had been raised with senior leaders at Medway from 2020, but the report said the issue "did not appear to attract meaningful attention" until March 2024.

The review also found Kent and Medway's integrated care board was aware the service was under pressure for several years, although the full scale of the backlog was not reported until May 2025.

The report calls for a wider review of how ENT services are organised across Kent and Medway.

Medway NHS Foundation Trust said it had checked all affected patient records, contacted those involved and created a single waiting list.

The trust said all patients caught up in the backlog had been seen, treated and discharged by the end of May.

Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust apologised to patients and said it should have raised concerns more effectively.

It said it was "strengthening its systems and reporting processes".

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