According to NHS England, as of August 2022, England’s elective care waiting lists reached 7 million open patient pathways. This number includes individuals awaiting diagnoses and scheduled surgeries. A significant portion of these patients, including 2,646 who have waited for over two years, find this delay causes distress and discomfort. Many individuals may also experience deteriorating health conditions and reduced quality of life due to these delays.
The surge in waiting times and lists has been exacerbated by healthcare delays resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. Recent discussions have emphasised that the official figures might not include an estimated 3.3 million people who refrained from seeking treatment during the pandemic and are likely experiencing intensifying medical needs.
The issue of extended waiting times isn’t exclusive to the NHS in England, however. Many countries face this challenge too.
Analysis of strategies to reduce patient wait times
Actions to increase supply
When there’s a mismatch between the healthcare demand and its supply, bolstering resources like staff, facilities, and equipment can lead to heightened activity and decreased waiting periods. However, with every NHS Trust having its own unique demands and pressures, it is essential to understand that simply increasing funding and resources might not directly correlate with reduced patient wait times. The success of such measures heavily relies on Trusts accurately identifying where and how to allocate these additional resources – be it in expanding workforce numbers, enhancing diagnostic capabilities and equipment, or boosting specific specialties’ capacity.
Read our Cannock Chase Hospital case study to understand how building a new and permanent Community Diagnostic Centre on the hospital’s cold elective site is positively impacting pressures on the wider acute hospital setting.
Actions to manage demand
When boosting the healthcare supply to match demand isn’t feasible, various strategies can be employed to help control the demand. Our recent webinar, Reducing Pressure on the Acute Setting, discussed strategies for reducing demand on the acute NHS setting – from maximising the use of digital technology for efficient patient journeys, through to analysing the impact of being able to access diagnostics more widely through initiatives like Health on the High Street.
Transforming the healthcare journey
Estate Strategy and Future Planning
An estate strategy fundamentally involves the foresight and management of long-term healthcare infrastructure, which includes hospitals, clinics, and various other healthcare facilities. Through a well-devised estate strategy, hospitals can maximise the utilisation of existing space and pinpoint potential expansion or repurposing areas to cater to more patients or services.
As the demands of healthcare continually shift, having a strategic plan in place ensures that hospitals are prepared to meet future requirements and can effectively manage increased patient flow. Before constructing new buildings, it’s crucial to evaluate the capabilities of the existing estate. Opting to repurpose can save both time and money.
For instance, spaces previously designated for administrative tasks or non-clinical roles can be converted into patient care areas, optimising the use of the current structure and situating care closer to its point of necessity.
Older wards, which may not meet contemporary healthcare standards, can be re-purposed to offer increased bed capacity and patient care amenities.
The future of rapid expansion
Modular healthcare buildings, while not a new concept, have brought many groundbreaking changes to the healthcare sector. Utilising pre-constructed modular units means that new hospital buildings can be rapidly assembled on-site, offering a swift expansion solution for hospitals. While not always suitable for every healthcare estates project, modular healthcare builds can often offer a cost-effective solution for the NHS due to the ability to being manufactured alongside groundworks and minimal operational disruption. Importantly, they can also provide excellent levels of flexibility, allowing them to be adapted, expanded, or reduced according to a hospital’s evolving needs.
Much like our recent focus at James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, where the Trust required a new 28 bed hospital ward to meet standards and demand. This method is proven to help with backlogs by providing rapid and additional capacity to deal with critical care or elective surgeries.
Addressing elective surgery backlogs
The integration of repurposed buildings alongside the innovation of modular structures offers hospitals a unique opportunity to confront the challenge of elective surgery backlogs.
One effective approach is to establish dedicated surgical wards or units exclusively for elective procedures. This focused approach not only streamlines the surgical process but also plays a pivotal role in diminishing wait times, ensuring patients receive the care they need promptly.
A multi-disciplinary approach
In navigating the complexities of healthcare, particularly in the context of increasing patient demands and wait times, a multi-faceted approach is paramount.
A blend of strategic planning, analysis of infrastructure innovation, and focus on patient and clinical centred decision provides a clear pathway to deliver excellent healthcare – whether this is through a new build or repurposing existing healthcare space.
Central to this is a focussed estate strategy, an integrated approach to maximising the potential of existing infrastructure while analysing and preparing for future requirements.
