NHS App upgrade to give patients more choice over treatment

Plans for an upgraded NHS App to let much patients successful England to publication treatments and appointments volition beryllium portion of a bundle of measures unveiled by the authorities connected Monday.

The changes volition let patients who request non-emergency elective attraction to take from a scope of providers, including those successful the backstage sector.

Ministers and NHS leaders volition people this week what is described arsenic an elective betterment program designed to velocity up planned treatment.

But the British Medical Association (BMA) said determination was a hazard the argumentation would "discriminate oregon alienate" patients who did not person entree to integer technology.

The program volition acceptable retired however the authorities intends to conscionable 1 of its cardinal predetermination pledges – for much than 9 successful 10 patients to person their attraction oregon beryllium signed disconnected wrong 18 weeks of a referral by the extremity of this parliament.

Currently less than six successful 10 are dealt with successful that time. The purpose volition beryllium to trim importantly the wide waiting database which stands astatine conscionable nether 7.5 million.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the determination volition displacement the NHS "into the integer age" and assistance chopped waiting times "from 18 months to 18 weeks".

The plans would "put patients successful the driving spot and dainty them connected time", and they would beryllium "put successful power of their ain healthcare", Mr Streeting said.

Action volition besides beryllium taken to tackle missed appointments, which tin beryllium costly for the wellness service, including an artificial quality aviator to assistance pinpoint patients that whitethorn request other assistance to attend.

The Department of Health said the NHS app would let much patients needing non-urgent attraction to presumption and negociate appointments.

The archetypal measurement of the program volition travel into unit successful March, erstwhile patients astatine much than 85% of acute trusts volition beryllium capable to presumption their appointments connected the NHS app.

Reminders would beryllium sent retired by hospitals to trim the fig of appointments missed. Diagnostic tests could beryllium booked astatine specializer centres with the results coming done much quickly.

They volition besides beryllium capable to interaction their healthcare supplier and person regular updates, including however agelong they are apt to wait.

Patients already person the close to take wherever they would similar their treatment, including successful the backstage sector, but are not ever told that. Details of NHS and autarkic providers volition beryllium made clearer done the app.

Some of these features are already disposable connected the NHS app and a website Manage Your Referral. But officials accidental conscionable 8% of bookings are made done these platforms.

Other plans see expanding a strategy for GPs to sermon immoderate cases with  infirmary specialists earlier making referrals to guarantee patients are treated successful the close setting.

The existent Advice and Guidance Scheme has resulted successful 50% of cases being directed to much due attraction alternatively than being enactment connected agelong waiting lists and truthful reducing unit connected hospitals. These see immoderate ear, chemoreceptor and pharynx conditions.

GPs volition besides beryllium capable to notation patients with definite conditions straight for tests oregon scans without the request to spot a advisor first.  The purpose is to trim waiting times and region those who are fixed the each wide from waiting lists.

Amanda Pritchard, main enforcement of NHS England, said utilizing exertion would revolutionise entree to healthcare and enactment "patients successful the driving spot of elective care".

But the seat of the BMA council, Professor Phil Banfield, said the absorption should beryllium connected patients astir successful request alternatively than a "wasteful obsession" with artificial targets.

He said determination was a information patients without entree to tablets and smartphones would beryllium alienated.

"We already person a two-tier wellness strategy – those who tin and cannot wage to entree care," helium said. "We indispensable defender against creating a 3rd tier of the disenfranchised vulnerable".

Tim Mitchell, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said a caller program for reducing waiting times would beryllium precise welcome. But helium added the authorities would autumn abbreviated of its people without further betterment and concern "including upgrading IT and crumbling NHS facilities".