People awaiting hospital treatment to get three weeks’ notice under NHS England plans

Hospitals have been told to implement the new standards as soon as possible. Photograph: Jeff Moore/PA View image in fullscreen Hospitals have been told to implement the new standards as soon as possible. Photograph: Jeff Moore/PA People awaiting hospital treatment to get three weeks’ notice under NHS England plans Move inspired by customer service provided by online retailers such as John Lewis and Amazon People waiting for hospital treatment will get three weeks’ notice of their next appointment under NHS plans inspired by the customer service provided by online shopping operators. Hospitals are being ordered to start telling everyone on their treatment waiting list at least three weeks before their operation, diagnostic test or meeting with a consultant. The move is part of a new NHS England plan to improve patients’ experience of using the health service and end the “farce” of invitations arriving after the appointment time has passed. Jim Mackey, the NHS England chief executive, said on Friday that the way hospitals currently communicated with patients waiting for care was “clearly unacceptable”. Mackey’s plan follows pressure from patient organisations for the NHS to keep people updated about when they can expect to be seen amid concern that not knowing creates anxiety. It comes after research by the King’s Fund found that almost one in four patients were notified about their appointment after it was due. Separate recent findings from the health thinktank revealed widespread frustration that many patients felt “left in the dark” about their care once they had joined the NHS waiting list. On Friday, Mackey set out new “patient experience standards” intended to ensure that England’s 205 NHS trusts start delivering “five-star customer service”. They are designed to tackle the lack of information many patients get from their hospital while they are waiting for care, including notification that their GP referral has been accepted. When finalising the eight new standards, NHS England looked at how businesses like Amazon and John Lewis keep customers updated about when the goods they have ordered will arrive. Mackey said: “Almost everyone has a story in their family about how navigating the NHS has been like walking through treacle, including cases where patients aren’t even sure if they’ve been referred, which is clearly unacceptable. “If we want to keep improving patients’ experiences and satisfaction with the NHS we have to fix the basics – and that starts with how we treat people even before they arrive for treatment. “Our communication with patients needs to be clear and easy to understand. We have to get away from making patients ask us multiple times to get the information they need and start delivering five-star customer service.” He told hospitals to overhaul their ways of communicating with patients and implement the new standards as soon as possible, to ensure that those waiting get clarity about their care. skip past newsletter promoti