Patients on the NHS waiting list for ten months will have the option to travel 100 miles for treatment

Patients who have been on the NHS waiting list for at least ten months are being offered treatment hundreds of miles away.

Letters, emails and text messages will be sent to around 400,000 patients asking if they would be willing to travel for faster treatment.

They will be asked how far they are willing to go – 50 miles, 100 miles or across the country – before being connected with alternative hospitals that can treat them more quickly. Healthcare executives say the move will maximize the capacity of the NHS while giving patients more choice and control.

But critics say it is “not a panacea” and could exclude people who feel too old or ill to travel.

Patients who wait more than 40 weeks and do not have an appointment within the next eight weeks are eligible – an estimated 5 percent of those on the record list of 7.75 million.

The NHS will use a “matching platform” launched earlier this year to match patients with NHS and private hospitals outside their area. If an alternative hospital is not found within two months, the patient will remain with their current provider and retain their place on the waiting list.

NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard said it “demonstrates the clear benefits of a single national health service whose staff can share their capacity across the country”.

She added: “This new move to give longest waiting NHS patients the opportunity to consider traveling for treatment is just another example of how we are introducing new approaches to reduce waiting times to reduce patient time , while the choice of control is enhanced. have. above their own care.

“So whether a patient’s care moves to the next town over or somewhere further afield, it is absolutely right that we make the best of available capacity across the country to continue to reduce the backlogs inevitably created by the pandemic and “The best possible service.”

Critics say it is ‘not a panacea’ and could exclude people who feel too old or ill to travel (file image)

The latest data shows that around 397,000 patients have been waiting for treatment for more than a year, including almost 9,000 after more than 18 months. Patients will be contacted directly by their NHS trust or an independent provider and should not contact their GP practice or hospital.

Funding and support is available to help people who struggle to travel, such as taxis or hotels for the elderly or disabled. However, the NHS recognizes that some patients will not be eligible if their clinical condition is too complex for travel to not make sense.

Rory Deighton of the NHS Confederation, which represents healthcare employers, said the move would ease pressure on some of the most stressed parts of the system.

He added: “Directing demand to places with capacity makes sense and will benefit patients who are able and willing to travel.”

“But healthcare leaders will be aware that this plan will not work for everyone, as some patients cannot or will not comfortably travel far for their treatment, and others with minor health problems may even prefer to attend an appointment at your local health care is available. supplier.”

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: “Giving people the power to decide where and when they receive their treatment will help reduce waiting lists and improve access to NHS care.”