Shropshire boy's three-year wait for hospital appointment condemned on ITV's This Morning

Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield were joined by Tom Swarbrick of LBC and presenter Vanessa Feltz, for today's headlines on the daytime show.

With conversations covering The Qatar World Cup to comedian Joe Lycett, the story of a 16-year-old boy from Shropshire was also discussed as part of the 'Health' segment.

Last week, the Shropshire Star reported that a 16-year-old boy referred for hospital checks had been given an appointment in June 2025 – a wait of 951 days.

The teenager had been referred to the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford for assessment of a urology-related problem – but will be 18 when the day of his appointment comes around.

Now, the story has been labelled a prime example of a 'broken NHS' system on ITV's This Morning, with guests voicing fears that problems will only get worse.

Talking on the show, Vanessa said: "How can you condemn a boy to discomfort or something that's not quite right, for years – literally years – and say you've got to carry on living like that at a formative time of his life?

"It's absolutely dreadful and really, really a sterling example."

The boy's father said he was astonished after Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) confirmed that the date given in the letter was not a typo.

SaTH has since apologised and said it recognises "that the current waits are not acceptable".

It said recruitment issues and the "continued impact of Covid" were part of the problem.

Also giving his opinion on the issue, Tom added: "I just feel for the staff who are in there, who don't want to have a boy waiting until 2025 for a urology exam.

"But this is a result of decades and decades of pushing very difficult decisions down the road and hoping they kind of go away, particularly on social care.

"And they are all coming home to roost at the same time...and it's only going to get worse."