It would be great if waiting times could be more efficient. It's better to have some simple test early on than being told to wait until things get worse and the NHS has to spend more money on treatment.
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Improve waiting times
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Isibue
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Agreed. Any 'one-size-fits-all' 18 week target is clearly inefficient and in many ways unfair.
The use of PROs (patient-reported outcomes) routinely at home and in primary care would do a lot to improve the ability to assess need before you get to secondary care clinic. Massive waiting-list issues like arthritis (hip replacements etc) could be improved if patients were screened with these kind of tools.
For some reason PROs and specialist assessment tools are still the preserve of secondary and tertiary care.
I definitely agree on this as well. I feel like every time I go to the doctor for whatever complaint, I always get sent home on first (or even second) visit saying "if it's still a problem in 2-3 weeks, come back". It can be very frustrating to sit around with an issue knowing the health service won't help me.
• in reply to
Digital health technology isn't quite the silver bullet everyone is looking for yet but there are a whole new generation of patient-centred tools that should help with the whole 'fobbed off' experience we probably all recognise. Being able to take a bit more control yourself (accessing clinicians and other patients online, choosing the best rated services, self-monitoring etc) can help, even if it's just to do something and have more info next time you see the doc.
Adawells• in reply to
Yes, I agree with this comment. Too many people rush off to the GP when it is something that could easily be dealt with by searching online or asking a chemist for something. A lot of people don't know where to look online, and I think GPs and the NHS should do more to tell the public where they can find this information online. Only recently discovered that hospitals have useful information leaflets about various procedures, which the patient can read about and be fully informed about before going. I didn't know about this until after I had been and this would have saved me a lot of stress and worry.
Here here,It's a mess.
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