News for long waiting NHS patients
In England NHS patients have the right to request to move to a different hospital to receive their care/treatment if they have been waiting longer than 18 weeks. As the NHS continues to recover from the covid pandemic we will initially be contacting patients who have been waiting over 40 weeks and inviting them to be considered to move hospital to receive earlier care/treatment.
If you are eligible, you will receive a SMS, email or letter with the option to opt in on Tuesday 31 October 2023
Many patients may be deemed clinically appropriate to move provider. However, in some circumstances will may not be able to identify alternative capacity to facilitate a move.
However, there may be circumstances in which it is not clinically appropriate to move to a different hospital or alternative capacity is not available. If there is no capacity available locally but a patient is willing to travel nationally, their details will be uploaded to the digital mutual aid system (DMAS) and other hospitals will be able to offer to treat the patient if appropriate. If an alternative provider is identified the patient is then contacted and asked if they would like to proceed.
If an alternative hospital isn’t found the patient will remain with their current provider – they will hold their current position on the waiting list and receive an appointment as soon as one becomes available.
Here at LGT we will be contacting appropriate patients, please note that the pubic are being asked not to contact their GP or NHS hospital proactively regarding this offer.