Timely access to planned care is a priority for all our patients. Unfortunately, we have identified 8,849 patients waiting to be seen by Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialists whose referrals have not been correctly managed in line with NHS waiting time standards. We are very sorry that, as a result of this, these patients have experienced an unnecessary delay in their care.
ENT services are provided by Medway NHS Foundation Trust at Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham and Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford. The patients impacted include 4,279 adults and children predominantly in the Dartford, Gravesham, Swanley, Bexley and Greenwich areas awaiting a first outpatient appointment, and 4,570 existing patients awaiting a follow-up appointment, diagnostic test or procedure in the same area.
When these referrals were first received, they were reviewed by a clinician and assessed as routine, meaning that no urgent concerns, such as cancer, were identified at the time.
We are contacting patients to apologise and make arrangements for them to be seen as quickly as possible. We have begun to see patients in clinic and are making more appointments available.
We have taken immediate action to ensure referrals to this service are correctly managed, with stronger oversight and improved systems in place. A full, independent investigation has been commissioned to understand how the error occurred and if anyone has come to harm as a result of these unnecessary delays. We are committed to learning from this so that it does not happen again.
Advice for patients
We are very sorry for this unnecessary delay to your care and any distress this may have caused.
If you are affected by this delay, you will receive a letter from us this week (21 July 2025).
You can get in touch with us by emailing medwayft.entdvhpatients@nhs.net or by phoning 01634 976656.
Once again, we apologise for this error and thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we work to correct it.