NHS to reduce unneeded Outpatient appointments to make time to clear the backlog in hospital operations.

25 November 2021
NHS to reduce unneeded Outpatient appointments to make time to clear the backlog in hospital operations.

Hospitals in England undertook nearly 125 million outpatient appointments in 2019-20.

Sir Jim Mackey, Chief Executive of Northumbria hospital trust said: “2/3 outpatients appointments are of very low clinical value and low patient-experience value.”

“If we can look after the patient properly, enable them to access things the way they want to and communicate with them appropriately we can make a significant impact on that.”

Reducing “pointless” follow-ups could be a “game changer” for the overstretched NHS, he added.

Aseptika comments: There has been a radical shift since the pandemic in how patients are and should be active in their care. Initiatives like the NHSX Blood Pressure @HOME programme, and NHS funding of the use of our web-connected monitors at home by patients, now makes this transition possible. If you give us the tools, 8/10 of us can help ourselves. We just need a bit of support every now and again when we are concerned about something.

There is a fear that not everyone can do this, and of course this is correct, they need extra help now. But if 8/10 of us can help ourselves, this leaves space for the 2/10 that can't.

One day in an emergency, we may be the ones needing this extra help. By engaging with Supported Self-Management when it is offered to us, we help our NHS clear the waiting lists for those in urgent need of operations now.

 

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