Focus on outpatients
NHS England wrote to all NHS Trusts in August 2023, asking them revisit plans on outpatient productivity, reduce follow-ups, and identify more “opportunities for transformation”.
“We are now asking trusts to provide assurance against a set of activities that will drive outpatient recovery at pace,” writes Sir Jim Mackey of NHS England. “This process will require a review of current annual plans, detailing the progress that can be made on outpatients’ transformation.”
“As part of the above priorities, we are asking each provider to ensure that this work is discussed and challenged appropriately at board, undertake a board self-certification process and have it signed off by trust chairs and chief executives by 30 September 2023.”
This all comes off the back of the national RTT waiting lists now being made up of two thirds non-admitted (outpatient or diagnostic) waits. There are many opportunities to improve outpatient care and productivity, as recently explored by MBI.
Validation key to protecting and expanding elective capacity
As part of the directive, Mackey called for full validation of RTT waiting lists. He called on trusts to use MBI’s LUNA system (or similar) to address data quality errors and identify cohorts of patients that need further administrative and clinical validation.
“The directive from NHS England provides both an opportunity and a challenge for healthcare professionals. There is money on offer to Trusts that can quickly develop plans for validation and show they will employ it effectively to improve care.
This is no easy task, with strains on capacity, an urgent need to act, and a lack of coordinated workstreams. Despite these barriers, many Trusts are making progress getting plans approved and validation projects underway.”
Barry Mulholland, partner, MBI
