April’s monthly performance data for the NHS shows that despite ongoing pressures, hardworking NHS staff in the South East – including here on the Isle of Wight – are going above and beyond to accelerate the number of planned procedures.
While continuing to work through COVID backlogs, the number of patients waiting 104 weeks or more for planned treatment in the South East of England has reduced by 57% in just over a month. Even better for Islanders, the Isle of Wight NHS Trust is among trusts in England that have already eliminated patients waiting 104 weeks or more.
NHS staff have developed innovative ways of working to tackle backlogs that built up through the pandemic to keep people safe, while prioritising those who needed urgent care.
Here on the Isle of Wight, the Trust has redesigned the way they use theatres to meet the current surgical demand and have dedicated 2 wards to planned care.
Claudia Griffith, South East Director of Performance and Improvement at NHS England and NHS Improvement, has said:
“NHS staff are adapting ways of working to address the backlogs that accumulated during the pandemic, and the latest figures show that those efforts are having a positive impact in reducing the number of people experiencing long waits for care.
“Innovative new approaches are ensuring patients on waiting lists are seen and procedures are carried out as soon as possible. It can be frustrating to be waiting for planned care, but our dedicated staff continue to do everything they can to ensure people are treated safely and as soon as possible.”
Sir James Mackey, NHS elective recovery adviser, said:
“Staff have successfully begun to reduce the longest waits for care, which ultimately means people who have been in need for longest, are now getting the care they need.
“This progress is despite NHS staff this winter facing record 999 volumes and A&E attendances, on top of staff dealing with 170,000 Covid inpatients and 3.7 million days being lost due to Covid-related staff absences.
“There is a long and tough road ahead for the NHS to recover from Covid and help the patients we need to, but these latest numbers demonstrate clearly that the NHS is making the best possible use of the additional investment provided to us, starting with those in greatest need, as part of the NHS Elective Recovery Plan and initiatives like new care units to help people before and after surgery, dedicated diagnostic hubs, alongside creating additional ward capacity.
“As we have said throughout the pandemic, it is vitally important that anybody who has health needs continues to come forward, so that staff can help you with the best options for your care.”
Give them a medal, a slap on the back, or another payrise.
Just for doing the job we pay them for.
Do I sound harsh? Try and work in the private sector with the NHS approach and you wont be hired for long.
Utter rubbish. They have failed again to carry out my follow up cancer treatment and my mother has already been waiting over nine months for an alzheimers assessment. Totally useless hospital that should be shut down.
Omg that is terrible, I had to wait so long for eye specialist I’ve lost sight in my eye to optic nitritis. Now got to wait till December for brain lesions they’ve found
I wish you all the best Hayley, but in your position I would insist on a mainland referral rather than relying on St Mary’s. I had my cancer op in Portsmouth and they were great but have had no follow up from St Mary’s. I have given up now.
Yes and what about the bed blockers call in the army and put up a field hospital and lets have our hospital backand let the council sort them out and get them to build a replacement Frank James which the stupid arsed sold !!!!
Here here they chose to do the job no one brought meal to our garage for doing brakes on a van or giving claps for garages the NHS is not a bloody religion its just a job they learn to do like every one else
I bet you have a holiday sorted this year tho don’t you?my best friend is a pead oncologist in the Nhs she volunteered for Icu lead in Southampton during first lockdown as so short of staff whilst running her clinic in Guys for children…she stayed for 2nd lockdown as NHS so short of staff”thanks Boris”…she is still there now with a ward full of Covid patients…hasn’t had a holiday in two years looking after prat’s like yourself “Oh I know you pay in blah blah”..annual leave owed over three months told she can only have two in one go as still needed oh and first lockdown she had just got over a mastectomy herself ,you would last five minutes in the atmosphere they have had to work in and what they have dealt with!don’t lay into NHS Staff
Lay into limp waisted line managers and a government hell bent on bringing in privatisation at all costs see where your paying in gets you then!
I’ve got to wait till December for a neurologist application