Patients who have been waiting more than 40 weeks for NHS treatment in England will be offered the option of getting seen in another part of the country. About 400,000 will be contacted in the coming weeks and asked whether they would be willing to travel and how far.
The 400,000 figure represents about 5% of the total number waiting for treatment.
Treatment abroad
Patients already have a right to ask for treatment elsewhere, but NHS England believes that by proactively contacting the longest waiters they will help unlock some of the worst bottlenecks in the system. Only those who do not have an appointment already scheduled within the next eight weeks will receive the offer via text, email or letter.
If a patient is happy to travel, the treatment could either be in an NHS or private sector hospital. Those on low incomes will be entitled to some financial support to enable them to travel for treatment. Patients will retain their place on the waiting list at their local hospital while other options are explored.
Waits for treatment can vary greatly, with some hospitals able to treat patients three times more quickly than others for common orthopedic procedures such as hip and knee operations.
NHS Waiting lists
NHS data published in August exposed a distressing reality within the NHS, as waiting lists reach unprecedented lengths, leaving a staggering 85% of patients anxiously awaiting crucial decisions regarding their medical care.
These alarming figures shed light on the challenges faced by England’s healthcare system and have ignited a fervent call for comprehensive reforms. As the NHS grapples with mounting pressures, the question that looms is not just about increasing theatre capacity, but rather the imperative need for enhanced diagnostic capabilities and streamlined decision-making processes.
Moreover, health leaders have cautioned last week that Rishi Sunak is “highly unlikely” to fulfil his commitment to reduce NHS waiting lists. A “sobering” evaluation indicates that the backlog is suggested to rise to 8 million and won’t start to fall until the next summer.
Responses
NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard said it was “absolutely right” to make the most of available capacity across the country to reduce backlogs.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay said empowering people to exercise choice would help “tackle waiting lists and improve access to care”.
Louise Ansari, of the patient watchdog Healthwatch England, welcomed the move, saying long waits were having a devastating impact on both the physical and mental health of people. But she said it needed to be backed by more financial support. “People have also told us that they would welcome the opportunity to travel to receive care more quickly, as long as any additional costs incurred would be covered.” She also said that if people did not receive the support they needed to travel, the move risked widening inequalities.
Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents hospitals, said patient choice should not be seen as a “magic bullet”. “Long waiting times are a symptom of years of severe workforce shortages and underinvestment in the NHS,” she added.
Curia’s NHS Innovation and Life Sciences Commission
Jointly chaired by former Life Sciences and Innovation Minister, Lord James O’Shaughnessy and former Deputy Medical Director at NHS England Professor Mike Bewick, the Commission seeks to identify examples of good practice in innovation, draw learning and consider how implementation plans across the sector can improve the lives of patients. By bringing together key strands of policy and developing effective implementation strategies through extensive research, the Commission seeks to see change at every level within the NHS.
