Patients waiting longer than 40 weeks could travel for treatment

Patients in England who have been waiting for longer than 40 weeks for treatment will soon be offered the option of being seen in another part of the country.

Around 400,000 will be contacted over the coming weeks and asked whether they would be prepared to travel and how far.

Patients already have a right to request treatment elsewhere.  However, NHS England believe that by proactively contacting people who have been waiting the longest, they will help unlock some of the worst bottlenecks in the system.

The offer will be sent via email, text or letter to those people who do not have an appointment already scheduled within the next eight weeks.

The figure of around 400,000 represents around 5 per cent of the overall number currently waiting for treatment.

Amanda Pritchard, NHS England’s chief executive, said it was “absolutely right” to make the most of available capacity across the country to reduce backlogs.

Current treatment waits can vary greatly, with some hospitals able to treat patients three times faster than others for common orthopaedic procedures such as knee and hip operations.

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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (jacquelinevance@chadlaw.co.uk), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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