At least 2,000 NHS patients have vanished from waiting lists since 2018, and a watchdog warns the referral system cannot cope

The NHS e-Referral Service automatically deletes referrals left untouched for 180 days, a function the Health Services Safety Investigations Body says 'creates a hazard'. Some referrals also disappeared for unknown reasons, with no warning flagged. In 2023/24 around 1,000 patients had to be put back on a list. The blunder only surfaced after GP practices raised concerns.

The system GPs rely on 'was not designed to manage the current volume of referrals'.

In 2018, 72 referrals 'disappeared' from a worklist for patients awaiting appointment slots.

A year later, over 1,000 more patients 'potentially dropped off' the same list.