In a bid to cut NHS waiting lists, hundreds of thousands of patients will be offered the opportunity to travel to different hospitals to speed up their treatment.
Effective immediately, the NHS will reach out to patients enduring waits longer than 40 weeks without an appointment within the next eight weeks. Notifications will be dispatched through letters, text messages, and emails, aligning with a joint initiative with the government to tackle NHS waiting lists.
Amanda Pritchard, NHS chief executive, said: “Despite the pressure and the huge disruption caused by strikes, NHS staff have made great progress in reducing the longest waits for patients.
“This new step to offer NHS patients who have been waiting for the longest the opportunity to consider travelling for treatment is just another example of how we are introducing new approaches to reduce how long patients wait while improving the choice and control they have over their own care.”
How far will patients travel?
This significant development is integral to the ambitious NHS elective recovery plan. Up to 400,000 eligible patients are estimated to receive offers, enabling them to provide essential details, including their willingness to travel for care.
Patients can opt to travel 50 miles, 100 miles, or even nationally. NHS teams will subsequently scrutinise available options to determine if alternative hospitals can accommodate these patients sooner.
For a select group of patients, the process will include uploading their requests to the innovative ‘Digital Mutual Aid System,’ an NHS platform designed to match patients with hospitals that have available capacity.
This system also explores the possibility of transferring patients’ care to NHS or independent sector providers elsewhere in the country to tackle NHS waiting lists.
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay added: “Empowering people to choose where and when they receive their treatment will help tackle waiting lists and improve access to NHS care.
“From today, those waiting 40 weeks or more will be given more options to speed up treatment, including at hospitals with shorter waiting times or using capacity within the independent sector.
“This is the next step in our plan to build a health service around patients and follows on from the rollout of Community Diagnostic Centres, surgical hubs and virtual wards to unlock capacity in the NHS.”
NHS treatment rates are increasing
Despite the burden of NHS waiting lists and ongoing industrial action, the organisation has made remarkable strides in reviving elective services.
August witnessed an impressive increase in the number of patients treated, with over 87,000 more individuals receiving care compared to the month before the pandemic.
This remarkable progress can be attributed to the unwavering dedication of NHS staff and the integration of cutting-edge innovations.
Establishing surgical hubs, community diagnostic centres, and using robots and Artificial Intelligence to expedite surgical and treatment processes have all contributed to this extraordinary achievement.
This commitment to enhancing patient care, reducing NHS waiting lists, and ensuring access to medical services is apparent in this latest initiative, offering hope to those enduring prolonged waits for treatment.
