This means that the waits for each stage of treatment for consultant-led services are now:
-
Outpatients: 4 weeks
-
Diagnostics (x-rays, ultrasounds, laboratory tests etc): 6 weeks
-
Inpatient (surgery or other inpatient treatment): 8 weeks
This huge reduction in waiting times means that the Trust has achieved the national 18 week referral to treatment target some nine months ahead of schedule. The only other Trusts in the South Central NHS region to achieve this are Oxford's Nuffield Orthopaedic Trust, Milton Keynes Hospital, and the Isle of White.
"This fantastic achievement is due to the dedication and hard work of staff at every stage of the patients' journeys," says Oxford Radcliffe Chief Executive Trevor Campbell Davis. "We hope that, along with the fantastic new facilities that have opened in the last eighteen months, this will be another reason to make our hospitals the first choice for patients, not only in Oxfordshire but also the surrounding counties."
The Trust sees over half a million people a year as outpatients, and around 100,000 as elective inpatients and day cases. Even a year ago there were nearly 10,000 patients waiting more than 18 weeks, and maximum waits from referral to treatment were around 42 weeks. In surgery, the Trust has gone from doing an average of under 500 operations a week to over 650 a week a year later. In diagnostics, the Trust carried out over 25,000 more examinations in 2007/08 compared to 2006/07.
As well as this extra activity, the Trust has been applying new ways of working to improve patients' clinical journeys and the systems that support them. Already a leading Trust for innovations such as 'Theatre Direct Admission' (where patients can literally walk into the operating theatre rather than have to be admitted to a bed), the ORH has continued to look at ways to make the care process as smooth and direct as possible. This might be as simple as more 'one-stop-shops', that mean that patients can avoid multiple visits to hospital for appointments and tests, or the work in operating theatres with 'Lean' methodology – a proven way of eliminating waste and making sure work flows without interruption or inconvenience. This sort of work has importance beyond reducing waits: it has been shown to be one of the most valuable tools the NHS can use to maintain and improve standards of care and patient experience. Pathway reform can enhance clinical outcomes, improve patient safety, and make the best use of available resources.
Mr Ashok Handa, Vascular Surgeon and Clinical Director for 18 Weeks says: "Involving clinicians in this work has been crucial. When we began this latest effort to reduce waits, we got a great deal of enthusiasm – as well as some scepticism that you would expect when delivering such an ambitious target. However, it has enabled many clinicians to reshape the delivery of their services in a way that can benefit their working lives and the patient experience."
Contact: Oliver Francis, Media & Communications Unit
Contact Details: 01865 228932