10 hours ago
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/ho...47468.html
EXCERPTS: NHS health boards across England are deliberately delaying patient care by enforcing minimum wait times for treatment, an investigation has found. Analysis by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) identified enforced delays of up to 16 weeks for hip, knee and cataract surgery, alongside other planned procedures, as a way of managing demand and controlling costs.
Using the Freedom of Information Act, the BMJ obtained records from 35 of the 36 integrated care boards (ICBs) in England. Of those, 17 have introduced minimum waits of between 12 and 16 weeks for key procedures. The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) said it was “concerned by the scale” of measures that can leave patients suffering in pain, while GP leaders said the waits were “difficult to justify”.
Of the ICBs with minimum waiting times in place, two – Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and West Yorkshire – have introduced a minimum wait of 16 weeks for all routine procedures, the investigation found.
[...] The Royal College of Surgeons of England president, Tim Lane, said: “We recognise the significant financial and capacity pressures facing the NHS, but patients who are clinically ready for treatment should not be deliberately made to wait. Unnecessary delays can prolong pain, limit mobility, increase anxiety and allow conditions to deteriorate.
“Access to treatment should be determined by clinical need, not where a patient lives. Widespread use of minimum waits risks creating a postcode lottery and further delaying care. Minimum waits are not a substitute for addressing the NHS’s underlying capacity problems. We need increased capital investment, improved infrastructure and better use of existing capacity so patients receive their treatment as promptly as possible.” (MORE - missing details)
EXCERPTS: NHS health boards across England are deliberately delaying patient care by enforcing minimum wait times for treatment, an investigation has found. Analysis by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) identified enforced delays of up to 16 weeks for hip, knee and cataract surgery, alongside other planned procedures, as a way of managing demand and controlling costs.
Using the Freedom of Information Act, the BMJ obtained records from 35 of the 36 integrated care boards (ICBs) in England. Of those, 17 have introduced minimum waits of between 12 and 16 weeks for key procedures. The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) said it was “concerned by the scale” of measures that can leave patients suffering in pain, while GP leaders said the waits were “difficult to justify”.
Of the ICBs with minimum waiting times in place, two – Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and West Yorkshire – have introduced a minimum wait of 16 weeks for all routine procedures, the investigation found.
[...] The Royal College of Surgeons of England president, Tim Lane, said: “We recognise the significant financial and capacity pressures facing the NHS, but patients who are clinically ready for treatment should not be deliberately made to wait. Unnecessary delays can prolong pain, limit mobility, increase anxiety and allow conditions to deteriorate.
“Access to treatment should be determined by clinical need, not where a patient lives. Widespread use of minimum waits risks creating a postcode lottery and further delaying care. Minimum waits are not a substitute for addressing the NHS’s underlying capacity problems. We need increased capital investment, improved infrastructure and better use of existing capacity so patients receive their treatment as promptly as possible.” (MORE - missing details)
