Delayed referrals to treatment, BHRUT formal response

Healthwatch Havering carried out a joint review, to examine the issues regarding the significant delays in the care of patients between January 2016 to March 2017. The work was done as part of the Joint Topic Group, formed by Healthwatch Havering and Havering Health Overview Scrutiny Sub-Committee, to examine the delays issue at Queen’s Hospital and King George Hospital.

This summary highlights the response receive from Barking Havering Redbridge University Hospital Trust (BHRUT).

The BHRU Trust provided a detailed response to the recommendations made in the original Healthwatch report. To address the delayed referral issue, the Trust and the CCG plan to develop a business case for the establishment of a referral management system. The Trust are pleased to have an opportunity to response to the report. They recently hit the 92% Referral to Treatment incomplete standard for the first time in three years (June 2017), against a national picture of stagnating or declining performance. This follows the success of the major recovery programme undertaken at the Trust, in partnership with GP commissioners. The following achievements were made:

• At beginning of 2014, waiting list included over 1,000 people waiting longer than 52 weeks – now down to a very small number

• Thousands of extra clinics and nearly 100,000 appointments delivered, with thousands of patients redirected by GPs

• June performance saw BHRUT exceed national average (90.3%)

• Less than 8% of patients waiting longer than 18 weeks for June