An east London trust has managed to substantially cut a long-term waiting list, thanks to its “innovative surgical super clinics”.

The Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT) has previously reported huge reductions in the number of patients waiting more than a year for treatment, although it did continue to return poor results for four-hour A&E waiting time targets.

Now, the trust has announced that the number of patients waiting more than two years for treatment has also fallen rapidly, from 218 at the start of May to 26.

In a statement, BHRUT said it is "optimistic" that by the end of June, the waiting list will be limited to patients who have chosen to delay their treatment.

It claimed these results are largely due to its “super clinics”, in which the trust focuses resources to complete more operations than typical in a week.

Matthew Trainer, BHRUT chief executive, said he is "proud" of the way the teams have worked together.

“We’re sorry that people had to wait so long for their care, and our teams have done their very best to put it right," he added.