Labour's first step pledge to cut waiting lists will see
neighbouring hospitals sharing staff and waiting lists to treat
more patients.
The shared waiting list reforms will help the NHS provide an
extra 40,000 appointments a week and get patients seen faster.
Hospitals will run evening and weekend surgeries which allow them
to do a week's worth of operations in one day. Staff and
resources will be pooled across a region made up of about five
hospitals for these shifts. Patients will be offered appointments
at nearby hospitals, allowing them to be treated faster.
Staff at the Guys and St Thomas's hospital in London developed
high intensity theatre lists, which enables them to do a week's
worth of procedures in one eight-hour shift, because they work
more efficiently. Two theatres run side by side, allowing quick
turnover of patients. The consultants say that on a normal
working day they can perform three knee surgeries for patients,
but get through twelve when doing a HIT list.
However, more than half of hospitals in England close their
operating theatres on weekends. According to a Labour Party FOI
from last year, hospitals performed an average of 795 procedures
on weekdays, but just 176 of Saturdays or Sundays. NHS waiting
lists stand at 7.5 million, and increased last month.
Labour will invest £1.1 billion in the policy, to pay staff extra
for out of hours working. The party expects to roll out the plans
and reach 40,000 extra operations, scans, and appointments a week
well within the first year of a Labour government. The plan will
be paid for by clamping down on tax dodgers and closing remaining
non-dom tax loopholes.
It makes up one of the first steps outlined by on Thursday, which are part of
Labour's long-term plan to get Britain's future back.
MP, Labour's Shadow Health
Secretary, said:
“14 years of Conservative neglect has seen waiting lists treble
and, despite Rishi Sunak's promise, they are still rising.
“Only Labour has a plan to reform our NHS, get hospitals working
together with shared waiting lists and staff, to get patients
treated on time again. We will learn from the great innovations
already happening in the health service, and take the best of the
NHS to the rest of the NHS.
“That's how Labour will cut NHS waiting times with 40,000 more
evening and weekend appointments each week, paid for by clamping
down on tax dodgers and non-dom loopholes.”
Ends
Notes
- Staff at the Guys and St Thomas's hospital in London
developed high intensity theatre lists, which enables them to do
a week's worth of procedures in on eight-hour shift
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/london-hospital-cuts-waiting-lists-times-health-commission-gvp30j7zd
- NHS waiting lists are at 7.5 million and increased last month
https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/sunak-failing-nhs-pledge-tweak-cuts-list-3055808
- Labour's FOI last year asked
i)
Which hospitals in your Trust open elective theatres at the
weekend?
ii) the
number of (i) Admitted episodes with a procedure and (ii)
Outpatient attendances with a procedure completed by your trust
on (a) weekdays and (b) weekends in the 2022/23 financial
year.
81 hospital trusts responded on the elective theatres question,
51% of which close their theatres on weekends.
49 hospital trusts responded to the question on procedures,
giving an average of 795 procedures on a weekday and just 176 on
Saturdays or Sundays.
