Shortening waits for care
What you told us
In research we carried out on the impact of delays to care, we found that delays could happen with little notice – almost one in five people only learned on the day of their appointment that it would not go ahead.
Nearly 40% of people who’d had their care delayed experienced multiple postponements or cancellations. But this was higher among groups who already face health inequalities. Among disabled people, neurodivergent people, people on lower income, people from ethnic minority backgrounds, and LGBTQ+ people, around half faced multiple cancellations.
Delayed care caused people ongoing pain, poorer mental health, worsening symptoms, and disrupted sleep. These kinds of negative impacts affected two thirds of respondents.
The changes we’ve called for
The Government’s new Elective Care Reform Plan sets out how, by 2029, it aims for 92% of patients to have a diagnostic test, outpatient appointment or operation within 18 weeks of a GP referral.
Among the steps it promises are some of the things we have been calling for, including in our Patient Vision for 2030 report and our work understanding people’s experiences of elective care.
We called for the NHS to focus on people’s experiences of services as well as the time they wait for care
The plan announced the publication of minimum standards patients should expect to experience in elective care by September 2025.
We called for improved communication with patients, stressing the importance of accessibility, transparency and collaboration
The plan pledges to make appointment information for 85% of all acute trusts available via the NHS App by March 2025.
We called for improved referral tracking for patients, and expansion of the NHS App to become a one-stop patient portal
The plan announced expansion of the NHS App and Manage Your Referral Website to provide better information and appointment management for patients.
We called for investment in administrative staff to facilitate good communication and ensure people are guided to the care they need
The plan includes compulsory training for administrative staff, to help improve communication with patients. It also promises to create a named patient’s experience champion at all major hospitals.
What’s next?
This is a good first step towards urgently needed change. We’ll continue to share the experiences of those waiting for care as the NHS takes steps to meet the targets the plan sets out.
We want to see the NHS tackle waiting lists in an equitable way. This relies on them knowing who waits the longest, whether children, disabled people or those on low incomes, and taking action to address these inequalities.
We must also see the upcoming NHS 10-year health plan demonstrate the same urgency around tackling elective waits when it comes to waiting in other areas, such as mental health or GP appointments.
And we want the NHS to go further in measuring things which matter to patients, as well as the length of time they wait for elective care. This includes their experience of services, the choices they are given, and whether they were able to exercise their patient rights.
Want to know more about our calls for change?
Read our policy position on elective care to find out what other changes we have been calling for based on your feedback.
