NHS to trial tech to cut missed appointments and save up to £20 million

Patients will be able to book and change medical appointments online, receive text reminders and even access maps showing them where in a hospital they need to go through a digital patient tool set to be trialled in ten hospitals. Click here to read NHS news

NHS Performance Statistics - January 2018

Combined Performance Summary

• Urgent and emergency care – Accident and Emergency, NHS111, Ambulances, Delayed Transfers of Care 
• Planned care – Referral to Treatment, Diagnostics, Mixed Sex Accommodation, NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care, Patient Reported Outcome Measures 
• Cancer - Cancer Waiting Times, Cancer Registrations, Cancer Emergency Presentations, Cancer Survival Estimates 
• Mental Health - Early Intervention in Psychosis, Out of Area Placements, Children and Young People with an Eating Disorder, Contacts and Referrals, Improving Access to Psychological Therapies

Demand and Capacity Trainer Programme

The Demand and Capacity Trainer Programme is a free, accredited, six-month programme designed to support organisations to develop internal capability and skills in demand and capacity modelling.

The approach will equip staff to train others in demand and capacity and thereby spread this knowledge more widely at a local level. As a result local areas are better equipped to develop credible activity plans that support the delivery of reduced waiting times for patients.

NHS performance statistics - December 2017

Combined Performance Summary

• Urgent and emergency care – Accident and Emergency, NHS111, Ambulances, Delayed Transfers of Care 
• Planned care – Referral to Treatment, Diagnostics, Mixed Sex Accommodation, NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care, Patient Reported Outcome Measures 
• Cancer - Cancer Waiting Times, Cancer Registrations, Cancer Emergency Presentations, Cancer Survival Estimates 
• Mental Health - Early Intervention in Psychosis, Out of Area Placements, Children and Young People with an Eating Disorder, Contacts and Referrals, Improving Access to Psychological Therapies

Warning over surgery delays for thousands of patients

A leading surgeon was warned thousands of patients are not being prioritised for gallbladder surgery after pancreatitis – despite the risk of the condition returning that in some cases could kill them.

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Performance of the NHS provider sector for the month ended 30 September 2017

This report from NHS Improvement finds that despite the NHS treating more patients than even before, more people were seen within four hours in A&E and within 18 weeks for planned care. However, the combined end of year deficit for hospitals in England will be an estimated £127 million worse than planned.

Daily Insight: The price of avoiding a 5 million waiting list

Last week, Simon Stevens warned the NHS Providers conference: “On the current funding outlook, the NHS waiting list will rise to 5 million people by 2021… the government would have to publicly, legally abolish patients’ national waiting times guarantees.”

Waiting times expert Rob Findlay has calculated how much it would cost the government to get 18 week waits back on track. He says: “In short, the government has a choice: constrain the money and abandon the right to treatment within 18 weeks, or cough up and honour it.”

The abridged version is: “With some guesses about the costs per case, I calculate recovering 18 weeks sustainably might cost £2.1bn next year and £350m the year after, if other pressures and enough mainstream capacity are funded. Or £4.2bn next year and £1bn the year after, if austerity continues.”

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Revealed: The cost of restoring 18 week waits

With some guesses about the costs per case, I calculate recovering 18 weeks sustainably might cost £2.1bn next year and £350m the year after, if other pressures and enough mainstream capacity are funded. Or £4.2bn next year and £1bn the year after, if austerity continues.

“Our duty of candour requires us to explain the consequences of [the current funding settlement] to help inform the difficult choices which will be made in the years ahead. On the current funding outlook, the NHS waiting list will rise to 5 million people by 2021… the government would have to publicly, legally abolish patients’ national waiting times guarantees.”

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Combined Performance Summary - October 2017

This publication from NHS England summarises the data around NHS performance for October 2017. It contains a summary of the monthly performance statistics on:

• NHS 111
• ambulance quality indicators
• A&E attendances and emergency admissions
• waiting times for diagnostic tests, referral to treatment for consultant-led elective care and cancer services;
• delayed transfers of care; and
• early intervention in psychosis

What is happening to waiting times in the NHS?

In a speech ahead of the Autumn Budget on 22 November, the Chief Executive of NHS England, Simon Stevens, warned that without extra funding the improvements made in reducing waiting times for patients over the past decade will be reversed and the waiting list for elective treatment could increase to 5 million people by 2021. The King's Fund examines the big issues and recent NHS performance on waiting times.

Quarterly monitoring report 24: November 2017

24th quarterly monitoring report form the King's Fund.

Performance against a number of key indicators is worse than at this time last year, and finances remain precarious despite an emergency funding injection.

NHS pressures – future trends

This BMA analysis of NHS admissions and waiting times data estimates that emergency department attendances could increase to 24 million between October 2017 and September 2018. During this period, the analysis also projects that the number of patients failing to be treated within four hours of arrival at hospital could rise by 370,000.

A&E survey: Two in five report waiting more than four hours

Forty per cent of patients waiting over four hours to be seen at large A&Es, compared to 15 per cent at urgent care centres

Sixteen per cent of ambulance attendees wait over 60 minutes to be transferred to A&E

Better patient experience at type three centres compared to type one

Two-fifths of accident and emergency attendees report waiting more than four hours to be seen, a new patient survey has revealed.

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Combined Performance Summary - August 2017

This publication from NHS England summarises the data around NHS performance for August 2017. It contains a summary of the monthly performance statistics on:

• NHS 111
• ambulance quality indicators
• A&E attendances and emergency admissions
• waiting times for diagnostic tests, referral to treatment for consultant-led elective care and cancer services;
• delayed transfers of care; and
• early intervention in psychosis

Changes to cancer waiting times system and dataset

NHS England is planning changes to the cancer waiting times (CWT) system and dataset, which will come into effect from April 2018.

The changes are part of a programme of work to implement the new 28 day faster diagnosis standard by 2020. The CWT system enables CCGs to monitor and manage pathways of care for cancer patients. An information standards notice published on 28 September sets out the forthcoming changes, and an updated guidance document for CWT standards will be published later this year.

Delays rise a hundred-fold

The number of patients waiting in emergency departments for more than 12 hours for admission has increased a hundred-fold in just five years.

Doctors leaders said the figures, obtained by the RCEM (Royal College of Emergency Medicine), show the extent of the crisis in health and social care.

The number of people left in emergency departments for more than 12 hours rose from just 15 patients during January to March of 2012 to 1,597 in the same months of 2017.

Analysis: Highest number of patients waiting a year for treatment since 2008

Number of admitted patients who waited more than a year for treatment more than doubles

Highest total so far this year since 2008

Ten trusts responsible for half the year on year increase

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Analysis: Highest number of patients waiting a year for treatment since 2008

The number of patients waiting more than a year to be treated on an elective pathway has more than doubled year on year, the latest NHS data shows.

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Back pain pilot slashed number of onward referrals

A pilot primary care service in Hertfordshire has managed to discharge 80 per cent of people with low back pain after their first appointment.

Three advanced practice physiotherapists (APPs) delivered the 12-month pilot at the Fairbrook Medical Centre in Borehamwood. It received £75,000 from the Health Foundation to improve patient experience and save money.

Other outcomes from the pilot, which ended in August, included a reduction in waiting times for spinal injections from an average of 31 weeks to just nine weeks.

Managing risk in health and care this winter: update

This report from NHS Providers assesses NHS planning for the upcoming winter season and finds whilst the level of planning and support is more developed than last year, the system still requires emergency funding to ensure patient safety. NHS Providers warns that a failure to make an emergency investment of £200-£350 million will lead to longer patient waiting times and increased patient safety risks.