Crossword Genius

File on hospital department is rigorous (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

stringent

'rigorous' is the definition.
(synonyms)

'file on hospital department' is the wordplay.
'file' becomes 'string' (file can mean a string or row).
'on' says to put letters next to each other.
'hospital department' becomes 'ENT' (abbreviation for Ear, Nose and Throat department).
'string'+'ent'='STRINGENT'

'is' is the link.

(Other definitions for stringent that I've seen before include "Demanding, inflexible" , "Tight" , "binding" , "(Rule) allowing no discretion" , "Severe, rigorous, attention to rules say" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.