Automating Waiting List Validation for Outpatient Pathways

Published On: November 1, 2024|
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Transforming Outpatient Pathways with Automated Waiting List Validation

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (UHSx) is celebrating a huge milestone in their partnership with Netcall and e18 Innovation to validate their waiting lists, rapidly and simply. Thanks to the use of cutting-edge technology and direct patient engagement, the Trust has successfully reduced their waiting list by an impressive 13%.

Background:

The NHS is grappling with a monumental challenge in managing its elective care waiting lists.

As of September 2024, an overwhelming:

7.5 million patients are on the waiting list

6.2 million patients are waiting for treatment in England alone.

3.2 million patients have been waiting for over 18 weeks.

These numbers reflect the real experiences of patients and healthcare professionals. Traditional waitlist management is inadequate. UHSx has adopted innovative solutions like automation and a patient engagement portal to ensure timely care.

UHSx, one of the UK’s largest acute trusts, sees waiting list validation as essential for its elective recovery plan. UHSx aims for a 90% contact rate with patients waiting over 12 weeks to understand their needs and streamline appointments.

To reduce waiting times, Trusts should focus on validating lists and removing patients who no longer wish to be seen, ensuring effective communication.

Partnership

NHS trusts are increasingly adopting innovative solutions such as patient engagement portals and intelligent automation to streamline operations and improve patient care. To tackle this challenge, UHSx has partnered with two leading organisations to help reduce waiting lists in the region.

UHSx implemented Netcall’s Waiting List Validation solution, automating the process of contacting patients awaiting their first appointment through SMS, email, and letters with QR codes. In addition, intelligent automation via e18 Innovation manages responses and ensures data is efficiently processed back into the UHSx Patient Administration System (PAS).

Donna Steeles – Assistant Director, Performance & Improvement, University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust

“The collaboration between UHSx, Netcall, and e18 Innovation exemplifies the power of partnership in achieving the best value and results for the NHS. By combining the unique strengths and expertise of each party, these organisations have developed a comprehensive solution that significantly improves waiting list management. This synergy allows for the rapid deployment of innovative technologies, enhancing operational efficiency and patient outcomes. Working together, they can leverage shared knowledge and resources, ensuring the NHS benefits from the most advanced and effective solutions available. This partnership model sets a precedent for how strategic alliances can drive significant improvements in healthcare delivery.

The next step is to further enhance this automation process by integrating letter and telephone responses into the system, as well as extending automation to include additional patient cohorts and questions to improve patient communication and updating the PAS system.”

Future

As NHS trusts focus on the elective care backlog, automation in waiting list management is set to grow. Automating processes like appointment scheduling and reminders can reduce staff workloads and streamline operations. With advancements in AI and machine learning, these technologies could analyse waiting list data in real-time, identifying patterns and predicting patient needs for proactive interventions.

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