NHS to be fined for waits of longer than a year

New fines of £2,500 could be given to NHS commissioners for every patient left waiting more than a year for vital care, according to proposals from health leaders.

NHS England has set out plans for both clinical commissioning groups (CCGS) and providers of NHS care to face sanctions from the beginning of the next financial year in April.

The proposed fine of £2,500 for each patient left waiting more than 52 weeks to begin elective treatment would see CCGS – which hold the purse strings of local NHS spending – become liable for the first time for financial penalties. The fines will then be used to improve local services, as directed by regional NHS leaders.