We asked about very long-waiters in different areas and what action NHSE&I was taking to reduce them. It told us that all areas had had the same expectation placed upon them, to attempt to reduce the number of patients who had been waiting for more than two years by the end of 2021–22. It accepted that some areas of the country would struggle more than others to do this and said that it was working on mechanisms to build additional capacity, modify and change health systems and how areas could help each other across the country – including, for instance, by moving clinical teams or patients between regions.43 We also heard from NHSE&I that its elective recovery plan would consider how it could help the whole country to recover at a similar pace, even though areas are starting from different positions.44 The Department considered that transparency of performance data would be a crucial tool in reducing disparities.45 Communicating with people and patients