Ear, Nose, and Throat – Hull University Teaching Hospitals

Clearing ENT Backlogs at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

The Challenge

The Trust was managing a high volume of ENT referrals, with adult and paediatric patients awaiting their first outpatient appointment. Many required audiology and further diagnostics, which added to capacity pressures. The Trust needed additional support to meet demand, reduce waiting times, and maintain elective recovery without disrupting in-house delivery or impacting core workforce resilience.

Our Solution

To support the Trust’s recovery objectives and reduce pressure on internal resources, DMC Healthcare delivered a consultant-led ENT outpatient service at Castle Hill Hospital. The service was designed to complement existing provision without impacting core teams and was fully integrated with Trust systems and processes to ensure consistent patient experience, clinical safety, and data integrity. Patients were assessed, investigated, and managed within the same care pathways used by the Trust’s internal services.

🟢 Delivered timely first outpatient appointments with on-site audiology support where required

🟢 Provided appropriate access to diagnostic tests through Trust systems and pathways

🟢 Prioritised discharge at first contact and supported the use of Patient-Initiated Follow-Up (PIFU)

🟢 Helped reduce follow-up demand while maintaining quality and continuity of care

Achieved Results

The service supported HUTH in improving access and clinic throughput while preserving internal capacity. It helped reduce waiting times for first ENT appointments and ensured continuity of care through integration with existing systems and governance processes. The model allowed the Trust to retain control of activity and pathways, while drawing on external clinical resource to address a defined operational challenge.

✅ 689 Patients seen in three months

✅ 10.2% Patient-Initiated Follow-Up rate

✅ 43.1% Discharge at First Appointment

✅ 0 RTT breaches recorded

Testimonial

The management team have exceeded my expectations, and everything has been dealt with in a timely way. From a patient perspective, the experience of having their appointment has been really positive. Many had waited over a year, so it was a difficult situation, but DMC came in and handled it well.

Senior General Manger, NHS Humber Health Partnership