The government’s efforts to transform the NHS have already shown promising results, with a significant reduction of 193,000 in waiting lists. However, there is still much work to be done to ensure that patients receive the care they need in a timely manner. To address this, the government has introduced a targeted approach, sending top doctors to provide support to hospitals in areas with high levels of economic inactivity.
These “crack teams” of leading clinicians have been tasked with improving care in 20 areas where more people are neither employed nor actively seeking work due to ill health. By providing targeted support, these teams have been able to reduce waiting lists at a rate 130% faster than the national average.
One of the key strategies employed by these teams is the introduction of “super clinics” where patients can receive one-stop appointments, reducing the need for follow-up appointments. For example, Warrington & Halton have run gynaecology clinics at weekends, while East Lancs Hospitals Trust has focused on streamlining diagnostic pathways and increasing capacity for heart scans.
The government’s Plan for Change aims to transform health and social care, making it more productive and efficient. This includes reforms such as opening community diagnostic centres 12 hours a day, seven days a week, and revolutionising the NHS app to allow patients to receive test results and book appointments.
To achieve this, the government has invested an extra £1.8 billion to deliver extra elective activity across the country. This has helped create an extra 2 million elective care appointments between July and November last year, delivering on the government’s manifesto pledge seven months early.
Overall, the government’s efforts to reform the NHS and reduce waiting lists are showing promising results. By sending top doctors to provide targeted support to hospitals in areas of high economic inactivity, the government is getting “sick Brits back to health and back to work”.
