Electronic Referral Optimisation System
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Healthwatch Kent worked with the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board to carry out engagement on the implementation of the Electronic Optimisation Referral System. This was to form a baseline to evaluate the service.
They spoke to 104 people across Kent asking them to share their experiences of the current hospital referral service:
- 79% said that they were not given a choice of hospitals.
- 63% of respondents were not given an estimate of how long they would be waiting for an appointment.
- 36% of the people who were told their appointment had been delayed said they were not aware of the cause.
- 32% of respondents rated their satisfaction with the current referral service as ten out of ten.
- 29% of respondents did not receive an appointment letter.
Healthwatch Kent state that when they return in November 2024 to undertake the second round of engagement they expect to find:
- A 30% decrease in the number of people not being given a choice of hospital for their appointment.
- A 20% decrease in the amount of people not being told an estimated waiting time for their appointment.
- A 10% decrease in the how many people are not receiving an appointment letter.
- A 5% decrease in the number of people not being told about the cause of delay for their appointment