Countdown to faster health care

268,000 patients who are registered at more than 50 GP surgeries across the city can now receive faster diagnosis and treatment, thanks to an initiative to provide hospital care within 18 weeks

Suppose you are troubled with pains in your shoulder, hip or knee, or have a condition such as a hernia or gall stones.
These and many other health problems can now be treated more quickly thanks to the '18 weeks' initiative being rolled out by the NHS in Hull.
By providing a more efficient service and giving patients more choice about where and when they are treated, it is hoped the new system will bring better outcomes for patients, improve patient experience, and save time, resources and money for the local NHS.
"Our aim is to ensure patients are treated as quickly as possible by cutting out all unnecessary delays," says Sue Metcalfe, the director of commissioning for NHS Hull.
"Faster treatment can reduce the level of pain, discomfort and anxiety patients encounter and prevent their conditions from worsening. It can also contribute to a faster recovery from treatment, which often means patients need to take less time off work.
"The 18 weeks programme is a major step forward for patient care in Hull. It will be fully operational this month (December) and patients young and old can now be offered much shorter waiting times for care."

End waiting, change lives

The 18 week time period the scheme refers to applies in cases where a patient is referred for hospital treatment by a GP. The 18 week clock starts ticking either when the first hospital appointment is booked, for example via 'Choose and Book', or when the GP referral letter is received by the hospital.
The next stage would be an appointment at hospital as an outpatient to see a consultant. At this point the patient may have tests, be prescribed medication or therapy to manage the symptoms of the problem before treatment can start, or be referred to another consultant or department.
The clock stops ticking if no hospital treatment is required or when treatment begins, and this should happen within 18 weeks.
So in the example of a patient with knee pain, the patient would go from a first GP appointment to a hospital outpatient appointment to see a consultant. At that point an MRI scan may take place to diagnose the problem, and hospital treatment may take the form of a surgical procedure to treat the knee and ease the pain.
However, many patients in Hull will receive treatment at an even faster rate and it is hoped up to half of all patients can be treated in nine weeks or less.
In cases where it is suspected that a patient is showing signs of cancer, they will be offered a hospital appointment within two weeks, while emergency cases will be treated at accident and emergency or immediately admitted into hospital.
"One of the main advantages to this new initiative is that patients and their families will know what to expect and when to expect it," says Dr Kanan Pande, a GP at Wolseley Medical Centre in Londesborough Street, west Hull, and the clinical lead of the 18 weeks initiative in Hull.
"Cutting out delays reduces stress and inconvenience which is better for everyone concerned."

The success of the scheme relies, in part, on the co-operation of patients who will assist their GPs in finding the best way forward for their care.
Patients will be offered a choice of where and when they attend their hospital outpatient appointments.
For example, when a patient is at their local GP surgery, they will be offered a Choose and Book service to find the fastest and most convenient appointment with a hospital-based consultant.
Choose and Book is an electronic booking system where a patient can be offered an appointment in Hull, or if they prefer, at any other hospital regionally or nationally. For example, they may have relatives in another part of the country or feel they would get faster treatment or have a better experience at another hospital.
Treatment provided at hospitals outside Hull will also take place within 18 weeks.
"If a patient wants to be seen on a particular day and clinics in Hull at that time are fully booked, it may make sense to see a consultant in another hospital," adds Dr Pande.
"But I stress that patients will not be asked to go outside Hull if they don't want to, and we will endeavour to make sure all their care can be provided in Hull within the 18 weeks target.
"When appointments are made, we need patients to attend them. If for any reason they genuinely cannot make an appointment, they must let us know as soon as possible so that we can offer it to someone else."

info

For more information visit www.18weeks.nhs.uk/endwaiting

Working in partnership
Hull Teaching Primary Care Trust tel. (01482) 344700