Health Technologies

UK gov announces plans to tackle waiting list backlog

Hundreds of thousands of patients will be able to get directly referred and booked in for tests, checks and scans by their GP for a range of conditions as part of a radical new plan unveiled by the NHS and UK government.

People with conditions such as breathlessness, asthma in children and young people, and post-menopausal bleeding will benefit from a faster service, with patients no longer needing to see a consultant first.

Under the upgraded services, patients could receive their diagnosis weeks earlier with NHS chiefs vowing to boost patient experience and end the cycle of people getting stuck waiting between GP referrals and hospital appointments.

As part of the elective reform plan, millions of people will receive quicker diagnosis and treatment to deliver routine care to nine in ten patients within 18 weeks.

The new blueprint will see more patients receiving a same day service – with a follow up consultation on the same day as their diagnostic test or scan.

Under the reforms, thousands more patients will receive a diagnosis and treatment date within a single day, providing people with peace of mind or a clear way forward for their treatment.

Acceleration of diagnosis times for patients will also come alongside a major expansion of ring-fenced elective capacity in both hospitals and the community – allowing routine care to be protected from winter pressures and future pandemics.

The plan for patients will also ensure that people are as fit and prepared as possible for treatment while they wait for an operation – this will not only boost post op outcomes and speed up recovery, but also reduce the number of on the day cancellations.

Patients waiting for surgery will be offered support to lose weight and stop smoking while they wait, with evidence showing that quitting tobacco four weeks before surgery can substantially reduce the risk of respiratory and wound healing complications by up to a third.

NHS Chief Executive, Amanda Pritchard, said:  “By making it easier for people to get timely access to the tests they need alongside direct referrals and same day checks and consultations – this plan will help thousands more people to get a faster diagnosis and quicker treatment or the all clear, so people can get back to living their lives as soon as possible, with peace of mind that they won’t need further treatment.

“The reforms set out in this plan are focused on improving how people access and experience routine care, as much as they are about waiting times – we are determined not to hit the target but miss the point. Simply put, this is a plan with patients at its heart.”

Secretary of State, Wes Streeting, added: “As patients, we’ve all experienced the hoops you have to jump through to get the test or scan you and your GP know you need.

“It’s a waste of patients’ time, delays diagnoses when every minute matters, and means consultants are forced to tick boxes rather than treat patients.

“The reforms we’re announcing next week will speed up diagnoses and free up NHS staff to treat more patients.

“Our plan for change will cut waiting lists from a maximum of 18 months to 18 weeks by the end of this Parliament.”

Doctors’ leaders expressed concern over whether there were enough staff to achieve the goals laid out in the plan.

Prof Phil Banfield of the British Medical Association, said: “Doctors have been just as frustrated as their patients by the lack of facilities to deliver care and want to bring waiting lists down.

“But the reality is that without the workforce to meet constantly rising demand, we will not see the progress we all hope for.”

Dr Jeanette Dickinson, who chairs the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges Council, said: “We know that these things can make a difference, we know that these have been tried in small areas, piloted, and do make a difference.

“It’s doing it at pace and at scale, having the staff available, having the estate available, the operating theatres, the consulting rooms, the capacity to deliver those changes.”

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