Amanda Hack MP welcomes new NHS reforms to cut waiting lists and end backlogs

Amanda Hack MP welcomes new NHS reforms to cut waiting lists and end backlogs

Millions of patients will be able to access more appointments and get the treatment they need faster under a new plan to tackle hospital backlogs.

The Elective Reform Plan, published on Monday 6th January by NHS England, sets out a whole system approach to hitting the 18-week referral to treatment target by the end of this Parliament. Restoring this standard will mean millions of patients no longer have their lives put on hold while waiting for treatment. Currently, too many patients face long waits for appointments or surgeries and may be referred to hospitals they don’t choose at inconvenient times, while appointments and staff time are being lost to inefficiencies or inconsistencies in care.

The reforms set out earlier this week are focused on doing things differently by putting patients first, looking at their treatment in the round and empowering them with more choice and control so that care is more convenient and fits better into their lives.

Amanda Hack said:

“I’ve lost count of the number of times I have spoken to residents on the doorstep who have been waiting far too long for their procedures. Under this Government, our proposals will get us back to hitting the 18-week referral to treatment target so people no longer have to put their lives on hold.

The plan will drive forward progress on our first steps commitment which we set out during the election to deliver 2 million extra appointments in our first year, equivalent to 40,000 every week. The reforms will put patients first, harness technology to support staff and help the NHS do things more efficiently.

Having already met with many of our local GP practises and the North West Leicestershire GP Federation, I will continue working closely with our health teams to enhance services, cut waiting lists and improve the health of local people.”

NHS chief executive, Amanda Pritchard, said:

“NHS staff have worked tirelessly to bring down the longest waits, treating record numbers of elective patients last year, but with one in nine people currently on a waiting list it is right that we now go further and faster.

This ambitious blueprint will build on our progress and support hard working NHS staff to deliver faster routine care for patients with the aim of treating nine in 10 within 18 weeks by the end of this Parliament.

The radical reforms in this plan will not only allow us to deliver millions more tests, appointments and operations, but do things differently too – boosting convenience and putting more power in the hands of patients, especially through the NHS app.”

Further measures set out include:

• Using the NHS app to give patients greater choice and control over their treatment. This includes making sure patients can get better access to information via the app, such as the details of their appointments, results and waiting times, and use it to book appointments in the location of their choice, with information about waiting times and patient satisfaction.
• Preventing unnecessary referrals. GPs will be funded to work with hospital doctors to get specialist advice before making referrals, so that more patients get the care they need without being referred onto the waiting list.
• Giving patients choice over non-essential follow up appointments as part of a drive to free up around 1 million appointments a year for those who need them.
• Making more appointments available in the community instead of hospitals. More treatment for five specialties with particular pressure on waiting lists will also be made available outside of hospital through targeted reforms.