Healthwatch Rotherham, an independent health watchdog, has raised "serious concerns" after finding that 96% of surveyed patients were unaware of a "waiting well" support service set up by Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust to help those on planned surgery or treatment waiting lists. Some patients told the watchdog they felt "anxious, forgotten, and unsupported" during their wait, highlighting a gap between the support the trust offers and patients' actual experience. The trust's managing director welcomed the findings, saying patient feedback helps identify where improvements are needed.

More than 2,000 patients took part in the survey, which found a lack of clear communication and expectation-setting between medical staff and patients, with many not given a referral timeframe. Reported waiting times ranged from 16 weeks to more than two years. The findings come as the NHS Modernisation Bill proposes scrapping Healthwatch groups and transferring their responsibilities elsewhere, a move the Local Government Association has warned could leave the NHS "marking its own homework".