Patients waiting for elective surgeries will benefit from
increased transparency and information sharing following the
launch of the new NHS ‘My Planned Care’ platform.
Patients and their carers will be able to access tailored
information ahead of planned surgeries including information on
waiting times for their provider.
They will also be able to better understand their expected wait
and clinicians will be able to link patients to the most
appropriate personalised support in preparation for their
surgery.
This could include advice on prevention services such as stop
smoking or diet and exercise plans, to make sure they are
fighting fit for surgery to reduce cancellations, prevent
deterioration and help patients recover as quickly as possible.
It forms part of wide-ranging plans to tackle the backlog of
elective care caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which also
includes the rollout of more than 100 community diagnostic
centres across the country and extra surgical hubs, all backed by
billion pounds of additional investment.
Health and Social Care Secretary, said:
“At the height of the pandemic the NHS rightly focused on
treating COVID-19 patients, but sadly it has meant waiting lists
have risen - and the Covid backlog is going to keep
rising.
“This platform, combined with our record funding to tackle the
backlog and invest in innovative diagnosis and treatment will
help us ensure access to life changing care and support for
people no matter who they are or where they live.”
NHS providers will be able to upload supportive information to
the platform to help patients manage their conditions while they
wait for treatment.
A third of on-the-day cancellations are due to people not being
clinically ready for treatment, such as having a long-term
condition including diabetes or high blood pressure which has not
been diagnosed or properly managed.
The platform, which will go live later this month, will initially
be accessible via NHS.UK, allowing patients, family members,
carers and clinicians to all access information at any point of
their care pathway. In the longer term it is expected the service
will be delivered via the NHS App.
This follows the Health and Social Care Secretary’s announcement
last week on a national war on cancer with the launch of a call for
evidence to inform a new ten year plan to improve cancer
care, speed up diagnosis and invest in innovative new
treatments.
ENDS
Notes to editors
- We have provided an extra £5.4 billion to the NHS to respond
to COVID-19 up to April, taking our total extra COVID-19 funding
to health and care services to over £34 billion this year alone.
- The extra £5.4 billion funding is broken down into:
£2.8 billion for COVID-19 costs including infection control
measures
£600 million for day-to-day costs
£478 million for enhanced hospital discharge
£1.5 billion for elective recovery, including £500 million
capital funding to increase theatre capacity and use of
technology.
- At the Spending Review we announced an extra £5.9 billion of
capital to support elective recovery, diagnostics, and technology
over the next three years. This includes:
-
- £1.5 billion towards elective recovery by expanding
capacity through new surgical hubs.
- £2.1 billion to modernise digital technology on the
frontline, improve cyber security and improve the NHS’s use
of data and redesign care pathways.
- £2.3 billion to increase the volume of diagnostic
activity and to roll out at least 100 Community Diagnostic
Centres (CDC) by 2024-25 to help clear backlogs of people
waiting for clinical tests, such as MRIs, ultrasounds, and CT
(Computerised Tomography) scans.
- This on top of our previous historic long-term settlement
for the NHS, which will see NHS funding increase by £33.9
billion by 2023-24, which we have enshrined in law, and sets
aside £8bn to support tackling the backlog.
