The 18 week patient pathway is a government initiative which aims to provide patients with hospital treatment within 18 weeks of being referred by a GP.
NHS staff across the country are working toward the 18 week patient pathway target which should be a national standard by December 2008. Many people are already treated well within 18 weeks, but the target will guarantee faster and better treatments across the country.
It includes the whole pathway a patient takes from referral through to treatment, including outpatient consultations and tests. It's the first time the NHS will measure the whole wait as one from referral to treatment.
The initiative will be evaluated on what patients report on their experiences, rather than what national statistics show.
Some patients, such as those with suspected cancer will continue to be seen within two weeks and will have treatment within two months.
The Department of Health has advised that changes will be needed in the NHS in order to meet the 18 week target. This will mean that the NHS will make changes to how they work at the moment in order to make the pathway more efficient.
There are 13 trusts that have been named as 'early achievers' across the country, which are already working to meet the 18 week target. This is so they can share their experience with the rest of the NHS and speed up the overall process.
Good progress has already been made, but there is still more to do to meet the target. 'End waiting, changing lives' is designed to provide information, ideas and best practice for NHS staff and others who will be involved in making the 18 week target a reality across the country, to make the service the best and most efficient as possible.
The benefits of the 18 week target are:
- a shorter overall waiting time for treatment
- less time spent in hospital for tests and treatments, as more services will be provided by GPs in community settings
- fewer hospital appointments as services are reorganised and tests and treatments are closer together
- less worrying as problems are diagnosed earlier
- earlier relief of symptoms, pain and discomfort
- less disruption in day to day life
- greater confidence in the NHS
- better understanding of what to expect from treatment and care, and when to expect it
GPs in Bradford and Airedale will be able to refer patients more easily to diagnostic services, so the overall waiting time will be reduced.
We are working with Bradford Teaching Hospitals Trust and other organisations to make the process more efficient and easier for patients. They have started doing operations on evenings and weekends so more people can be treated as quickly as possible.
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