MORE than half of people waiting the longest for pre-planned hospital treatment in England are under the care of just nine NHS trusts, analysis of official figures show.

Over 2,700 patients had been waiting at least a year and a half to begin hospital treatment as of September, with nine NHS trusts — all located in south or east England — accounting for 51.1 per cent of this total.

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust was responsible for 21.4 per cent.

Norfolk & Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust accounted for 6.2 per cent, Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust 6 per cent, and Milton Keynes University Hospital 4.2 per cent.

Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust, Barts Health NHS Trust, Guy’s & St Thomas’s, King’s College Hospital, Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust followed with rates between 2.7 and 2.1 per cent.

Unison head of health Helga Pile said that years of underfunding have “left the NHS in a perilous state,” with trusts facing “complex national and local challenges.”

She said: “The staffing crisis continues to affect all trusts’ ability to treat patients as efficiently as they’d like.

“If the backlog of treatment and operations is to diminish, it’s imperative the NHS doesn’t lose any more staff.

“The service also needs to be seen as an attractive place to work.

“That’s why it’s so important talks get underway soon between employers and unions about modernising the pay structure, and those discussions include negotiations about next year's wage rise too.”

Keep Our NHS Public co-chairman Dr Tony O’Sullivan said: “The need to extend support for the NHS to fill staff vacancies and retain staff is the most important action to sustain its running.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said it aims to “get patients seen faster and build a future-ready NHS.”