LICHFIELD’S MP has backed his party’s plans to cut hospital waiting lists.
The Government says new measures will see half a million more appointments made available each year through greater access to community diagnostic centres and new or expanded surgical hubs.
There will also be a drive to prevent missed appointments and work to prevent unnecessary referrals, with GPs funded to work with hospital doctors to seek specialist advice in the first instance to prevent more people joining the waiting list.
Lichfield’s Labour MP Dave Robertson said the moves would help ensure the NHS was “fit for the future”:
“For too long patients in Lichfield, Burntwood and the villages have been let down, stuck on NHS waiting lists, unable to get the care and support they so desperately need.
“These plans are a huge step in the right direction and will ensure waiting lists fall.
“Currently, too many patients face long waits for appointments or surgeries and may be referred to hospitals they don’t choose at inconvenient times, while appointments and staff time are being lost to inefficiencies or inconsistencies in care.
“The Government’s plan to provide millions more appointments and expand the use of community diagnostic centres, will allow more people to access tests and checks while going about their daily lives.
“This elective reform plan will end the backlogs and ensure our NHS is fit for the future.”
Other measures announced include greater use of the NHS app to give patients more choice and control of their treatment, as well as making more appointments available in the community instead of in hospitals.
The Government said patient experience would be boosted by the introduction of a new set of national standards for elective care which will offer a shortlist of providers to choose from with information about how long they are likely to wait with each one.
