Planned care survey


Improving planned care and reducing NHS waiting times in North West London

About us:

North West London Integrated Care Board brings together all health, care and related organisations in our eight boroughs with the aim of improving people’s quality of life, improving life expectancy, and ensure there is fair access to health services for all. 

This spring, NHS North West London is talking to residents, health and care professionals, and community groups about how we can improve planned care for all. Planned care refers to non-emergency health care, such as hospital outpatient appointments or planned surgery. This piece of work does not cover mental health care. 

We want to make sure patients receive the planned care they need as quickly as possible, aiming for patients to receive specialist care within 18 weeks of being referred by their GP. We also want their overall experience to be fair and as positive as possible. 

In order to do this, we need to consider the changing needs of people in North West London, the increasing number of people who are seeking care, and how we tackle the unfair differences in waiting times and care experiences for people from different communities. 

From conversations with local residents and health and care professionals, we have already heard some suggestions of how we might be able to reduce waiting times, improve care and help people to stay well while they are waiting for treatment. These include:

  • Connecting GPs directly with specialists so they can seek advice on a patient’s condition more quickly – potentially avoiding waits for hospital appointments.  
  • Providing more regular updates on a patient’s position in the waiting list, so they know what to expect and can make plans around this. 
  • Allowing patients to select their preferred appointment time from available slots rather than being allocated a set time. 
  • Providing more support for people while they are waiting for surgery, so they can keep well and support a faster recovery. 
  • Making better use of technology. This can help improve efficiency and free up time for specialists so they can see more people. 

We are now speaking to residents from across North West London to hear more about their experiences of planned care, and how they think positive improvements can be made. 

Please complete the short survey below so we can capture your feedback. It should take 5-10 minutes. You can also email your views to nhsnwl.communications.nwl@nhs.net with the subject title of ‘Planned Care’.

For more information, you can read our issues paper which sets out the challenges for the NHS and our aims to improve planned care. Find out about other ways to share your views and get involved  www.nwlondonicb.nhs.uk 


0% answered

Residents’ survey

1.  

Have you ever experienced a long wait for an outpatient appointment or planned procedure or treatment (a long wait would be defined as more than 18 weeks since your GP referred you)?

2.  

While you were waiting for your planned care or surgery, did you receive clear communication from the NHS on when your appointment would be and where it would take place?

3.  

Would it be helpful to receive regular updates on your position on the waiting list so you know what to expect and can plan around this?

4.  

Would it be helpful for patients joining the waiting list to be given practical advice on staying well while waiting for planned care?

5.  

If you have ever had planned surgery, were you given advice on how to help reduce complications and help speed up recovery? For example, advice on diet and exercise, stop smoking support, or alcohol reduction support.

6.  

Most planned care is provided at your local hospital. If you had the option to attend a different hospital or clinic to receive your care quicker, would you consider this?