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

A general view of staff on a NHS hospital ward on Jan. 18, 2023. (Jeff Moore/PA)

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.

The announcement came on Tuesday, marking the beginning of the “chance to travel for treatment” plan. Any patient who has been waiting for longer than ten months will be contacted by their hospital.

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.

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Patients will be offered a list of hospitals with shorter waiting times or options within the independent sector, he added.

Waiting Time

The 400,000 eligible patients make up about 5 percent of the total number waiting for treatment.

Latest data on NHS waiting lists for consultant-led elective care showed the number of people almost tripling in size over the decade.

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 independent charity Health Foundation has estimated that, on current trends, the NHS waiting list could peak at eight million by summer 2024.

The growing number of patients on waiting lists comes amid continuing industrial action by NHS doctors and staff over pay disputes with the government.

In the latest instalment of strikes, consultants and junior doctors took industrial action during the Conservative Party annual conference to ramp up pressure on ministers.

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.

“So, whether a patient’s care moves to the next town or somewhere further away, it is absolutely right that we make the most of available capacity across the country to continue to reduce the backlogs that have inevitably built up due to the pandemic and provide the best possible service for patients,” Ms. Pritchard said.

Costs and Criticism

Louise Ansari, chief executive of consumer champion Healthwatch England, has warned that patients who would travel to alternative hospitals, would need the NHS to cover the additional costs incurred.

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.

The government has been criticized for leaving the NHS “on life support” by the Liberal Democrats. The party argued that people across the country are left “waiting in pain for months for the treatment they need.”

Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting blamed the Conservatives for leaving the NHS in the biggest crisis in history.

Labour has vowed to change how the NHS “front door” operates, by shifting the focus out of hospitals and into the community.

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.