In England, one in seven patients has a problem with the so-called the 'referral black hole', where a referral from a GP for tests or treatment is delayed, lost, refused or not sent at all. This problem creates a hidden waiting list that is not registered in official waiting lists and patients are not informed of their status. This leaves patients feeling stuck between GPs and hospital teams without clear communication. The Healthwatch England report is based on a nationally representative YouGov online survey conducted in March 2025 of 2,622 people with referrals in the last 12 months. Of these, 14% (377 respondents) experienced problems with referrals that were not properly processed or confirmed. This condition represents a significant obstacle in patients' access to the necessary health care.