Swindon hospital waiting times doubled in last 10 years

The number of people waiting for care in a West hospital has more than doubled over the last decade.

Great Western Hospital (GWH) in Swindon has seen a 149 per cent increase in those waiting; from more than 12,000 in May 2012 to nearly 32,000 now.

A parliamentary candidate for South Swindon has praised the hard work of hospital staff amid a "crisis" of delays.

The GWH says despite the "increased pressure" the hospital is recovering.

The wait times saw a sharp increase due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with a 50 per cent increase from March 2020 to present.

Because of this many are experiencing delays in receiving treatment.

Labour's parliamentary candidate, Heidi Alexander, said: "Waiting lists in Swindon are soaring, and that means - at best - patients are left in pain and in fear for far longer than they should be, and sadly it also means that more and more people are dying whilst waiting for care.

"We know how hard staff at the Great Western Hospital and the trust have worked over the last few years, and the amazing job they have done."

Ms Alexander stressed the importance of providing "equipment and modern technology to provide the care we need."

A spokesperson for Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said:"The Covid-19 pandemic, and other increased pressure upon the NHS, has resulted in higher demand for urgent and emergency care services and longer waiting lists than have ever been experienced before.

"Despite this, we are working hard to reduce waiting times for treatment, with 273 fewer people waiting over 18 months than this time last year."

Brian Ford, a Swindon Borough Council cabinet member, believes his local council "has a very good record for assisting the NHS", and said GWH has been "phenomenal".

Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]