NHS announced that a comprehensive new strategy will soon launch to reduce patient waiting times, allowing citizens to access faster diagnoses and treatments.
This initiative will enable general practitioners (GPs) to directly refer and schedule patients for tests, scans, and health checks without requiring an initial consultation with a specialist.
Patients experiencing symptoms such as breathlessness, post-menopausal bleeding, and asthma in children and young adults might benefit from quicker access to care, eliminating the need for a specialist appointment before undergoing diagnostic procedures.
The revamped system aims to deliver diagnoses weeks sooner, improving patient satisfaction and preventing delays between GP referrals and hospital consultations.
As part of a broader elective care reform, the plan seeks to ensure that 90% of patients receive routine care within 18 weeks. The strategy also includes same-day services, offering patients immediate follow-up consultations after their diagnostic tests or scans.
Thousands more patients will now receive both a diagnosis and a treatment plan in a single day, providing quicker clarity and reducing anxiety for those awaiting care.
This accelerated diagnostic process will be supported by a significant expansion of dedicated elective care facilities in hospitals and community health centers. This expansion will help safeguard routine medical services from seasonal pressures and potential future health crises.
Further, the strategy focuses on improving patient readiness for surgery. Patients awaiting operations will have access to programs that encourage weight loss and smoking cessation.
A key component of this strategy is a new "gold standard" service approach. Non-clinical frontline staff, such as receptionists, will receive customer service training, and every acute hospital will appoint a dedicated patient experience advocate to keep patients informed and supported throughout their wait for care.
This plan builds on the NHS's recent progress in reducing long waiting times. Since March 2021, the number of patients waiting over a year for treatment has been cut nearly in half, reflecting the continued efforts of NHS staff to improve healthcare delivery.
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