Doctors can log if patients are willing to travel, and how far – and if an NHS or private hospital has spare capacity, it can offer to step in and provide the necessary care
Patients stuck on lengthy NHS waiting lists may be able to receive treatment at hospitals away from home.
As part of a new âMatching Platform’ scheme, doctors can now log if patients are willing to travel, and how far. If an NHS or private hospitals has spare capacity, it can then offer to step in and provide the necessary care.
The system, which originally launched in January for patients needing a hospital admission, is now being expanded to include cancer, diagnostic checks and outpatient appointments. People who are unable to travel independently, such as the elderly or disabled, may also be entitled to taxis or hotels.
NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: “Despite significant pressure on services, NHS staff have already made incredible progress against our elective recovery plan, and this smart new tool will help us to continue to reduce long waits for patients. It shows, once again, the benefits of having a national health service NHS staff can now work even more closely with other hospitals across the country to identify capacity and conveniently match patients to available treatment and appointment slots.”