Norfolk and Norwich hospital has England's 2nd longest waits

Only those using the University Hospitals Sussex are waiting longer.

The two trusts top a new list compiled by the Press Association news agency which shows that nine hospitals are collectively responsible for more than half of patients nationwide that have been waiting more than 18 months for treatment.

As of the end of September, there were 2,703 patients who had been waiting at least a year-and-a-half for their treatment to begin.

Of these, 168 were patients of the N&N - one in every 16 nationwide. The University Hospitals Sussex had 579.

Chris Cobb (Image: NNUH)

Chris Cobb, chief operating officer at the N&N, said: "It is a priority of ours to accelerate our elective recovery to ensure patients can access care when they need it, which includes a programme of work to increase elective and day case activity and also to increase the number of new outpatient appointments - as well as the proportion of patient-initiated follow-ups. 

"We continually review our waiting lists and we are prioritising cancer, the most urgent and longest-waiting patients.

"Our teams are working hard to reduce waits by carrying out additional theatre lists and clinics at weekends.

"Where capacity is available at other trusts, some patients are also being offered treatment at other hospitals to help reduce waiting times."

The figures come after health secretary Wes Streeting said hospitals with long waiting lists would be "named and shamed" in league tables.

A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: "Patients have been let down for too long while they wait for the care they need.

"We will tackle this head-on by delivering an extra 40,000 additional appointments per week."