NHS Patients on Longest Waiting Lists Will Be Offered to Travel for Treatment

NHS patients, who have been waiting longer than 40 weeks for treatment, will be offered to travel to alternative hospitals to speed up the delivery of care.
NHS hospitals will send offers to up to 400,000 eligible patients, who will indicate how far they are willing to travel in the country to get treated.
The health care service has been trying to bring down the waiting time for patients and clear the backlogs, exacerbated by the impact of the pandemic.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay said the new plan will help unlock the capacity in the NHS.
“Empowering people to choose where and when they receive their treatment will help tackle waiting lists and improve access to NHS care,” Mr. Barclay said.
Around 7.75 million people were waiting for treatment in August—an increase from 7.07 million the same time last year and 2.94 million in 2013.
The growing number of patients on waiting lists comes amid continuing industrial action by NHS doctors and staff over pay disputes with the government.
The government has refused to sweeten the deals further for junior and consultant doctors, after committing to a pay rise earlier this year.
Junior and consultant doctors are expected to pause strikes and re-enter talks with the government.
NHS Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard welcomed the “new step” taken by the NHS to reduce the longest waits for patients despite the “huge disruption” caused by strikes.
Having a single national health service allows sharing capacity right across the country, she said.
Ms. Ansari has called on NHS England and Integrated Care Boards to ensure financial support for patients with the costs of transport and accommodation.
“Otherwise, this option risks deepening health inequalities by only providing solutions to people who can afford to contribute toward the additional costs of travel,” Ms. Ansari said.
According to the NHS Elective Recovery Plan, if no alternative hospital is found and agreed with the patient within eight weeks of starting the process, the patient will remain with their current provider and keep their position on the waiting list.
Patients with clinical conditions that make travel inappropriate, will not be eligible for the plan.
Mr. Barclay said the government was already implementing its plan to build a health service around patients, following the rollout of Community Diagnostic Centres, surgical hubs and virtual wards.