Patients will be offered a wider choice of providers and the process of booking treatments and appointments will be made as smooth as possible
- An upgraded NHS App will enable patients to choose providers, book appointments in more settings and receive test results, all in one place
- Proposals are part of the Elective Reform Plan, setting out proposals to cut waiting lists and reduce waiting times to 18 weeks
- Greater choice and control for patients will sit at heart of reforms, as government delivers on its Plan for Change to rebuild NHS
- It will establish minimum standards patients should expect as they wait for care
A revolutionised NHS App is among a raft of proposals aimed at giving patients greater power over how and when they receive elective treatment, as the government sets out its roadmap to cutting waiting times as confirmed in the Plan for Change.
Currently, fewer than a quarter of patients recall being offered a choice of hospital for their treatment. Patients have a legal right to choose their provider and the government wants to give them more control over their own care.
Under measures in the forthcoming Elective Reform Plan, patients will be offered a wider choice of providers and the process of booking treatments and appointments will be made as smooth, supportive and convenient as possible.
Planned NHS App upgrades will enable patients requiring non-emergency elective treatment to:
- View and manage appointments at a time and place that is convenient to them, reducing missed appointments, which are costly to the NHS - in 2023/24, there were 8 million missed appointments in elective care
- Choose from a wide range of providers, including in the independent sector
- Book diagnostic tests through the NHS App at convenient locations, such as a Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) in a local shopping centre
- Receive test results quickly through the App before choosing the next step - whether a remote consultation or surgery - at a convenient time and location
As a first step, by March 2025, patients at over 85% of acute trusts will be able to view appointment information via the NHS App.
Patients will also be able to contact their treatment provider at their convenience, and receive clear information and regular updates, including on how long they are likely to wait for their appointment.
Currently, most patients receive test results through a phone call from a clinician, or a letter with either the result or instructions to book an appointment to discuss them further. This can be a significant time after the diagnostics took place. Enabling patients to receive test results quickly through the App will help address these inefficiencies in the process.
The proposals are part of the elective reform plan, set to be announced this week, which sets out how the government and NHS will deliver on its Plan for Change to slash the waiting list and cut waiting times to 18 weeks by the end of this Parliament.
The plan marks the start of a new era for the health service that will put patients in the driving seat and in control of their own care.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting said:
If the wealthy can choose where and when they are treated, then working class patients should be able to as well, and this government will give them that choice.
Our plan will reform the NHS, so patients are fully informed every step of the way through their care, they are given proper choice to go to a different provider for a shorter wait, and put in control of their own healthcare.
This government's reform agenda will take the NHS from a one size fits all, top down, 'like it or lump it' service, to a modern service that puts patients in the driving seat and treats them on time - delivering on our Plan for Change to drive a decade of national renewal.
By bringing our analogue NHS into the digital age, we will cut waiting times from 18 months to 18 weeks and give working class patients the same choice, control, and convenience as the wealthy receive.
The NHS currently lags behind in digital communications, with just 8% of bookings after a referral being made via the NHS App or the Manage Your Referral website. The proposals will drive up this figure by making the NHS App and Manage Your Referral site the default route for patients to chooser their provider, or decide not to make that choice themselves.
Greater choice will be available so people can take control of their health, with strengthened communications to patients through the App, making them aware of the options available to them.
More widely, the plan establishes minimum standards patients should expect - giving them more power over decision-making and what they can expect to be able to do:
- Choose how they receive follow-ups for care, whether this be digitally or in-person
- Receive a shortlist of providers to choose from, have the option to choose an appointment that suits them, and the receive information on how to change their appointment
- Decide whether a follow-up appointment is necessary or whether it is more beneficial to continue recovering at home
- Have the ability to contact their provider for any necessary follow-up, rather than being called back at intervals that don't suit their circumstances
- Get clear communications that meet their needs throughout their time on the waiting list - including to check whether they still want to be on the list
NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said:
NHS staff are providing record levels of elective care but with too many patients waiting, we know we need to reform further and faster so we can take our progress on the backlog to the next level.
That is why as part of the Elective Reform Plan we will fully harness the potential of the NHS app, giving patients
