Written Question · S6W-08250 · Session 6
What action it is taking, beyond the NHS Recovery Plan, to specifically address waiting times for orthopaedic surgery.
The question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking, beyond the NHS Recovery Plan, to specifically address waiting times for orthopaedic surgery.
The answer
We recognise the significant pressure on Orthopaedic Waiting Times, and actions to address this are being considered within the wider context of planned care recovery.
We are working closely with Boards to finalise planned care activity plans, including for orthopaedics, for 2022-23, which will be critical to stabilising and improving our health and social care system in the medium term.
The National Treatment Centre (NTC) Programme will deliver the single biggest increase in protected planned care capacity ever created in NHSScotland. The network of 10 NTCs, will deliver capacity for over 40,000 additional planned procedures and diagnostic care across 12 specialities. Within next 18 months, NTCs will open in NHS Fife, NHS Forth Valley, NHS Highland and at NHS Golden Jubilee specialising in orthopaedic surgery. On 13 April, we also announced £1.8m of funding to purchase a private hospital in Ayrshire (Carrick Glen) to be developed into a new National Treatment Centre specialising in orthopaedics.
As well as significant investment in new infrastructure, the new NHSScotland Centre for Sustainable Delivery is also leading work to explore new and innovative ideas to reduce In Patient / Day Case and Outpatient waiting times. Examples include:The rollout of Active Clinical Referral Triage, to provide patients with information about non-surgical interventions and self-management options;Patient Initiated Reviews, enabling patients to be escalated if their condition deteriorates and reduces routine appointments while supporting patients in a safe and clinically appropriate manner; andEnhanced Recovery after Surgery pathways, designed to support patients achieve faster recovery after surgery.
Discussions are also progressing with the Centre for Sustainable Delivery to build clinical leadership across all specialties to help innovate and drive productive opportunities to support the recovery of planned care.
We are working closely with Boards to finalise planned care activity plans, including for orthopaedics, for 2022-23, which will be critical to stabilising and improving our health and social care system in the medium term.
The National Treatment Centre (NTC) Programme will deliver the single biggest increase in protected planned care capacity ever created in NHSScotland. The network of 10 NTCs, will deliver capacity for over 40,000 additional planned procedures and diagnostic care across 12 specialities. Within next 18 months, NTCs will open in NHS Fife, NHS Forth Valley, NHS Highland and at NHS Golden Jubilee specialising in orthopaedic surgery. On 13 April, we also announced £1.8m of funding to purchase a private hospital in Ayrshire (Carrick Glen) to be developed into a new National Treatment Centre specialising in orthopaedics.
As well as significant investment in new infrastructure, the new NHSScotland Centre for Sustainable Delivery is also leading work to explore new and innovative ideas to reduce In Patient / Day Case and Outpatient waiting times. Examples include:The rollout of Active Clinical Referral Triage, to provide patients with information about non-surgical interventions and self-management options;Patient Initiated Reviews, enabling patients to be escalated if their condition deteriorates and reduces routine appointments while supporting patients in a safe and clinically appropriate manner; andEnhanced Recovery after Surgery pathways, designed to support patients achieve faster recovery after surgery.
Discussions are also progressing with the Centre for Sustainable Delivery to build clinical leadership across all specialties to help innovate and drive productive opportunities to support the recovery of planned care.
In the Official Report
1 contribution mention S6W-08250-
13 Mar 2024National Health Service Waiting Lists
I start by thanking all staff who work throughout the NHS. The debate is on an issue that MSPs probably hear about the most from our constituents. Whatever constituency MSPs represent, the dire and depressing problems in our NHS are having…