Do you assume Labour will slash NHS ready lists? Vote in our ballot
The government will announce plans to slash NHS waiting lists next week, as part of an upgraded service that will see patients be referred directly for some scans and treatments by their GP – and we want to hear your thoughts.
Sir Keir Starmer will unveil details of the Elective Reform Plan on Monday, alongside health secretary Wes Streeting, and chief executive of NHS England Amanda Pritchard. In a bid to halve waiting lists, people with certain conditions will no longer need to see a consultant first.
These include breathlessness, asthma in children and young people, and post-menopausal bleeding, as NHS chiefs pledge to “end the cycle of patients getting stuck waiting between GP referrals and hospital appointments”. As part of the new system, patients will receive a streamlined service, with a follow up consultation on the same day as their diagnostic test or scan, reports the health service.
The Prime Minister will vow to diagnose and treat 92 percent of patients within 18 weeks of receiving a GP referral by the end of this parliament which has not been achieved for nearly 10 years. It comes as there are an estimated 6.34 million people who were on NHS waiting lists at the end of October, according to alarming figures.
Ms Pritchard, said: “While there are too many people waiting unacceptably long for care, NHS staff have made huge progress in bringing down long waits since the pandemic. And backed by government investment, alongside our commitment to continue to reform and innovate, we know that staff can significantly reduce waiting times across the country again.
“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.”
Mr Streeting, said: “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.”
The reform will also include an update to the NHS App, allowing people to book consultations for times that suit them, as well as see more centres opened up for diagnostics. Other moves are being made to make services more helpful and so advice is to be offered to people, such as how to lose weight, while they are waiting for treatment which is expected to aid their recovery.
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