Innovative new approaches across the South East — from AI supported eye care pathways to extended diagnostic hours and newly opened surgical hubs — are helping people be seen quicker for treatment in the region. 

Trusts across the region have been redesigning services, expanding capacity and adopting new technology to help patients be seen more quickly, even as demand for care throughout winter remains high with the latest data showing that in December 2025, 220,930 people attended emergency departments across the region, up on November 2025 when just over 219,000 people attended an emergency department.  

Over the past year, the South East has seen reductions in the longest waits, improvements in weekly referral to treatment performance, and a fall in the overall waiting list. While many people are still waiting too long for treatment, the region is seeing the impact of targeted innovations and sustained effort from clinical and operational teams supported by the launch of Elective Reform Plan in January 2025. 

Between November 2024 and November 2025, the total waiting list across South East trusts fell by approximately 35,000 patients. Long waits have also reduced significantly, including a sharp drop in the number of people waiting over 65 weeks to begin treatment with the South East seeing the biggest decrease in 65 week waits, with a 39% reduction from October 2025 to November 2025, (1,298 compared to 2,124).

These improvements reflect the combined effect of new surgical hubs, digital tools, extended hours for checks and scans, and redesigned pathways that are helping to increase capacity and speed up care. 

Some of the work by trusts across the South East that is making a difference for patients includes: 

• AI supported eye care pathways: Tools such as the AI telephone assistant Dora are speeding up ophthalmology referrals, reducing administrative workload and helping more patients be seen within 18 weeks. 

• Faster clinical decisions through Advice & Guidance: Thousands of patients have avoided joining hospital waiting lists after GPs received rapid electronic advice from specialists, enabling treatment closer to home. In April 2025, 35,000 specialist advice requests were processed in the South East, of which over 17,000 resulted in diversions away from the elective waiting list, meaning patients avoiding unnecessary waits and being directed elsewhere for care or advice on how to manage their condition. 

• More checks, tests and scans out of hours: Community Diagnostic Centres across the region are offering evening and weekend appointments, helping patients access scans and tests sooner and speeding up diagnosis. 

• Surgery sprints and digital pathways: Trusts have been running focused surgical “sprints” and using digital tools to streamline pre operative and post operative processes, increasing the number of procedures completed and reducing bottlenecks. For example, Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust has implemented intensive bursts of activity to bring down long waits such as ‘cataract-athon’ and ‘urology-athon’ to clear waiting lists with just over 80% of patients on their ophthalmology waiting list seen within 18 weeks. Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has increased in the number of one-stop cataract clinics which have enabled patients to be seen and assessed in a single visit, speeding up surgical assessment and reducing the need for multiple clinic appointments. The trust has also introduced a grading system for the waiting list to identify patients suitable for high-volume lists increasing the number of patients per surgical list by two.   

• New surgical hubs expanding capacity: Several new surgical hubs have opened across the South East, including the Sussex Surgical Centre and the Kent and Medway Orthopaedic Centre providing dedicated, ring-fenced theatres for high volume procedures such as orthopaedics, ophthalmology and general surgery. These hubs protect planned operations from day-to-day pressures in emergency care, helping reduce cancellations and increase the number of patients treated each week.  

Dr Christopher Tibbs, Medical Director for NHS England South East said: “The fact that people are getting seen quicker and starting treatment sooner is really encouraging and shows the positive progress being made by the NHS in the South East. We know that many people are still waiting longer than we would want for planned care and supporting patients to access treatment as quickly and safely as possible remains our focus.  

“The progress we are seeing is down to the hard work and commitment of staff across the South East, who continue to go above and beyond for patients despite sustained pressure. By expanding capacity, embracing new technology and redesigning pathways, teams are making a real difference — and we are determined to build on this so more people can get the care they need sooner.”