Patients who have been on the NHS waiting list for at least ten months will be offered treatment hundreds of miles away in a bid to speed up access to healthcare.
Letters, emails and text messages will be sent to around 400,000 patients in England asking if they would be willing to travel to receive 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.
Health leaders insist the move maximizes NHS capacity 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.
Activists also claim that the hundreds of thousands of patients who remain on the list should be aware that they have the right to choose where they receive treatment.
MailOnline’s interactive tool lets you see the size of the queue at your local hospital and the number of patients who have waited 18 weeks or less – the maximum time patients can wait for treatment under NHS rules.
MailOnline app users can view it by clicking here.
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The figures show that Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has the highest proportion of patients waiting longer than 18 weeks: 60.6 per cent. Almost six in ten were also waiting at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, which recorded a rate of 57.5 per cent. At University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust around 55.7 per cent had to wait more than 18 weeks, while at James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust it was 52.8 per cent.
The figures show that Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has the highest proportion of patients waiting longer than 18 weeks: 60.6 per cent.
Almost six in ten were also waiting at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, which recorded a rate of 57.5 per cent.
At the other end of the scale, at Christie NHS Foundation Trust just two per cent waited over the period – the lowest percentage in the country.
Two other cancer hospitals – Clatterbridge Cancer Center (4.2 per cent) and Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trusts (5.3 per cent) – were among the other trusts with the lowest shares.
Under new NHS guidelines, patients will be actively asked to seek treatment at alternative hospitals if they wait more than 40 weeks and do not have an appointment within the next eight weeks – an estimated 5 per cent of registered patients on the 7.75 waiting list Millions.
There were 4.6 million people waiting for treatment in February 2020, but the numbers have soared as the NHS postponed most routine care during the pandemic to prioritize Covid patients.
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.
Despite the pressure to address a proportion of patients in the queue, everyone has the right to choose where he or she will be referred for an initial outpatient appointment.
Under the same set of rules, patients can also be transferred to another hospital where NHS procedures are carried out with a shorter waiting list if they wait longer than 18 weeks.
However, a survey last year found that only half of NHS patients are aware that they have the right to choose or change where they receive their treatment.
Why the NHS does not better inform patients about this right is unclear.
While this may be related to healthcare professionals not knowing that patients have a choice, the patients’ association says it is seen as a huge administrative burden for NHS staff or for staff who do not have enough time to discuss choices with patients. not discussed.
And moving everyone currently waiting for treatment to a hospital with a shorter waiting list would simply create a longer waiting list at another hospital, the report said.
says Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England: “This new move to offer longest waiting NHS patients the opportunity to consider traveling for treatment is just another example of how we are introducing new approaches to reduce patient waiting times, while giving them choice and increase control.” treatment. 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.”
The growing backlog in England reached 7.75 million in August – the equivalent of one in seven people. This includes nearly 400,000 people who have been stuck in the system for more than a year and are often in pain
Patients who have been on the NHS waiting list for at least ten months are being offered treatment hundreds of miles away
Patients will be contacted directly by their NHS trust or an independent provider.
Health officials said some resources and support will be available to help people who have trouble traveling, such as taxis or hotels for the elderly or disabled. However, hospitals decide on a case-by-case basis who has access to these payments.
Louise Ansari, chief executive of Health Watch England, which represents patients, said: “Many patients facing long waits for treatment will welcome the news that they can now travel for treatment if it means they can get treatment faster gain.”
“However, without support from the NHS with transport and accommodation costs, this solution will only help those who can afford to travel for faster treatment.”
“There are currently record numbers of people on NHS waiting lists and our research has repeatedly highlighted the impact of long waiting times on patients, particularly those from groups facing health inequalities, including those on lower incomes.”
“People have also told us they would welcome the ability to travel more quickly to receive treatment, as long as any additional costs are covered.”
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.”
Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, said: “Giving patients the option to seek treatment elsewhere is not a panacea to address the causes of record high numbers of people on NHS waiting lists.” The number could rise to more than eight million. next summer
“Long waiting times are a symptom of years of severe workforce shortages and underinvestment in the NHS.”
Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: “Giving people the opportunity to choose where and when they receive their treatment will help reduce waiting lists and improve access to NHS care.”
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
