Elective Care Recovery Plan

With 6 million people currently waiting for planned care, the plan aims to reduce the waiting list, while also improving the experience of waiting for patients and their loved ones.

WHAT IS IN THE PLAN?

More choice and control for patients

• Patients and hospitals will be able to work together to choose whether check-up and follow-up appointments take place face-to-face, over the phone or by video.

• The plan also sets out a right for patients to choose to transfer their care to a different hospital if they are waiting too long for treatment, and that if they make this choice, they can access support with transport and accommodation.

Support for patients while they wait

• From April 2023, patients will have better access to specialist hospital teams who will work with them to develop personalised plans before their surgery.

• This could include interim support with pain relief, access to physiotherapy, access to mental health services, access to support stopping smoking, and access to other public health initiatives.

• This section of the plan aims to support people to get fit for surgery, reduce the numbers of on-the-day cancellations, and benefit people’s post-op recovery.

Better patient communications

• A recommendation that trusts will follow the good patient communications guidance, which Healthwatch helped develop.

• More channels (such as My Planned Care) for communication, including the option for patients to update the NHS on their condition, and whether they need more support, or alternatively if they no longer require an appointment or surgery.

• A commitment that trusts will signpost to and work with voluntary and patient organisations, who are trusted by communities and can help with sharing of accessible information.

• This section aims to help patients manage their lives around their healthcare needs better, while providing patients and carers with personalised information and support.

Increased capacity

• Plans are described to increase the hospital workforce and utilise the independent sector to get the waiting list down. A further workforce plan was also mentioned by the Secretary of State in the Commons.

• More than 100 diagnostic centres will be rolled out as ‘one stop shops’ for quicker checks, scans and tests.

• Surgical hubs will also be added to the 122 already working across the country, to fast‑track high-volume routine surgery so more patients can be seen quickly.

Targets

• Eliminate waits of longer than a year for planned care by March 2025.

• By July 2022, no one will wait longer than two years for planned care.

• The NHS aims to ensure no one will wait longer than 18 months by April 2023.

• Deliver around 30% more elective activity by 2024-25 than before the pandemic.

  WHAT’S NEXT?

  Some of today’s announcements will take a while to implement, while others, such as the My Planned Care platform, will not be launched until later this year. Where Healthwatch can support the development of these rollouts, we will continue to do so together.

  With 6 million people waiting for care and even more yet to come forward for treatment, long waiting lists are likely here to stay. But if the recovery plan is successful, it should help to make waiting more comfortable while waiting, help with people’s mental health, and ensure that people don’t feel forgotten.