NHS Direct Wales

Waiting times for hospital treatment varies depending on the type of admission, but action is being taken to reduce waiting times across the board. The waiting time for outpatients should be no longer than 26 weeks, but already more than seven out of ten patients are seen within this time. Once at the outpatient clinic, you should be seen within 30 minutes of your appointment time.

External links

		Skills for Health - Reducing Waiting Times Initiative
		Consolidation of Waiting Times Rules

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Waiting Times

Introduction

NHS Wales is committed to ensuring that patients are seen as quickly as possible according to their clinical need.

The main focus on Referral to Treatment times. This is the total time from referral by a GP or other medical practitioner for hospital treatment in the NHS in Wales and includes time spent waiting for outpatient appointments, diagnostic tests, therapy services and inpatient or day-case admissions.

The key objectives are to ensure that:

All patients referred by primary care will receive their treatment within 26 weeks or less for the majority of patients
All patients whose care is too complex to be undertaken within 26 weeks or those who choose to wait longer receive their definitive treatment within maximum of 36 weeks
Patients who are not on a referral to treatment pathway but require specified diagnostic and therapy services are seen in accordance with the operational standards.

The Current Position

The 26 week Referal To Treatment waiting times targets have been achieved and waiting times in Wales are at their lowest recorded levels. Now the most significant challenge for 2010 is to sustain this progress and to ensure that supply and demand are balanced in an efficient, effective and economical manner. To achieve this a number of challenges are being addressed. These include:

Further improvement of demand management systems and processes
Continued development of information technology systems and supporting infrastructure
A more comprehensive approach to the redesign and transformation of clinical pathways
Improved levels of efficiency and productivity
Removal of the remaining backlog within the system
Greater engagement with the public to help better understanding of their rights, roles and responsibilities within elective care.

Priority Treatment for Veterans

NHS organisations have an obligation to ensure that they comply with the arrangements as set out in the Welsh Health Circular (2008) 051 Priority Treatment for Healthcare for Veterans, which seeks to ensure that veterans receive priority treatment . In addition there is a new requirement for each LHB to specifically consider the health needs of veterans/ service personnel when planning services.

Welsh Health Circular (2008) 051 Priority Treatment for Healthcare for Veterans

Resources

Waiting times for NHS services: Frequently asked questions

The Access 2009 project specified that by 31 December 2009 no patient should have to wait longer than 26 weeks from primary care referral to the start of definitive treatment.

Access 2009

The Wales Audit Office (WAO) publishes national reports on NHS Waiting Times.

Statistics

Waiting lists are reported by Local Health Boards in Wales to the Welsh Assembly Government and detail all those people resident in Wales who are waiting for NHS-funded hospital treatment and how long they have been waiting. You can view headline statistics by clicking on the link below:

NHS Waiting Times

Stats Wales offers comprehensive data on NHS Hospital Waiting Times

Stats Wales