University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) has been named among the top five 'most improved' NHS Trusts in England for reducing diagnostic waiting times.

UHNM has revealed that latest national figures - which compare February 2025 with February 2026 - show that the trust has made improvements in cutting the number of patients waiting more than six weeks for diagnostic tests such as scans and investigations.

Dr Simon Constable, chief executive, said: "Behind every number is a patient who has waited too long and deserves timely care, which is why this progress matters so much."

The figures also show continued improvement in planned care, with Referral to Treatment (RTT) performance rising from 57.75 per cent in November 2024 to 64.74 per cent in March 2026, above UHNM's target of 63.4 per cent.

RTT performance measures how quickly patients receive planned treatment after being referred to hospital services, with the NHS standard focused on patients starting treatment within 18 weeks.

The improvements mean around 8,000 fewer patients are now waiting more than 18 weeks for treatment across UHNM.

Dr Simon Constable added: "These improvements reflect a huge effort from teams across UHNM, with clinical staff delivering extra clinics, theatre lists and diagnostic sessions, including during evenings and weekends, while operational and administrative teams have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to manage waiting lists and make sure patients are prioritised appropriately.

"We've also made better use of technology, including AI-supported tools, to help us review waiting lists more quickly and accurately so patients who need care most urgently are seen sooner.

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"We know there is still more to do, and some patients are still waiting longer than we would want, but the overall direction is positive, and this progress reflects teamwork, innovation and people across the organisation pulling together to improve care for patients."