Royal Papworth Hospital wins £2m for cutting waits

Royal Papworth Hospital has been awarded a £2m bonus by NHS England for reducing waiting times for patients.

The specialist heart and lung hospital in Cambridge is one of eight trusts to receive the payment, after achieving the second-largest improvement in England for non-urgent planned care.

The funding can be used to improve facilities or buy new equipment.

Chief operating officer Harvey McEnroe said: "We've run extra clinics, carried out additional weekend procedures, introduced new technology and changed the way we work."

By March 2029, the government wants 92% of patients to start treatment within 18 weeks of referral – a key manifesto pledge. NHS England introduced financial incentives to encourage trusts to meet the standard.

However, the Health Foundation has said rising referrals, external in England have made reducing waiting lists harder.

In October, waiting lists in England grew for the third month in a row, putting the target at risk.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he wanted "to recognise and reward" the work of staff at the hospital.

"Our brilliant frontline staff are innovating and finding new ways to run their surgeries and get patients seen faster," he said.

"This government is backing them with extra investment and modernisation, and waiting lists are falling for the first time in 15 years as a result."

Royal Papworth has virtually eliminated waits of more than 12 months, although seven patients – some referred from other hospitals – remain in that position.

Roderick Starksfield, 81, from Gamlingay in Cambridgeshire, waited more than a year for a heart valve replacement but has now had the procedure.

"Before the procedure my life was awkward. I needed to hold on to furniture to walk and was constantly breathless," he said.

"Now I feel absolutely fantastic.

"I can walk freely again and breathe easily. I have a boat on the Norfolk Broads - I can't wait to get back on."

Royal Papworth medical director Dr Ian Smith said shorter waits meant patients got relief from symptoms sooner and recovered faster.

"People treated earlier are less deconditioned, which improves outcomes and shortens recovery times," he added.

In April 2025, 63% of Royal Papworth patients were seen within 18 weeks.

By September, that figure had risen to 72.1%.

The data refers to operations, procedures and clinic appointments.

During the same period, the waiting list fell by 20% – from 7,403 patients in April to 5,893 in October.

The hospital does not have an A&E department, making bed planning more predictable and reducing cancellations. The figures also include day procedures and clinics that have shorter waits, such as the sleep clinic.

Mr McEnroe said: "We understand how difficult it can be for people to live well while they wait, and we will use this funding to support further improvement in patient care and clinical services."

Stella Vig, NHS England's clinical director for elective care, said it had set out the challenge to bring down waiting lists.

"This approach has seen eight of them make particularly impressive progress, helping thousands of patients get the care they need more quickly," she said.

"This £2m capital funding will support efforts to speed up care even further and set a strong example for other organisations to learn from."

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