Thousands of patients moved off waiting lists

The NHS in Sussex has been diverting about 400 patients a week, mostly long waiters, away from its largest hospital trust towards private or neighbouring NHS providers.

Its new elective coordination centre has, it said, been attempting to rebalance the system and make the best use of "all available capacity."

Prior to the system going live in April, 10 to 15 appointments a week were reallocated.

Daniel de Rozarieux, director of elective care for the NHS's Acute Provider Collaborative within Sussex, said there was a "clear commitment" to "reducing the time people are waiting for treatment".

He said: “Within the first two months we have demonstrated how this approach can realise true benefits for our providers, and ultimately for our patients."

There is a national target to eliminate all 65-week waiters by September.

NHS Sussex and the main hospital trust, University Hospitals Sussex Foundation Trust (UHSFT), had the highest number of 65-week waiters in England, according to the most recent data.

In April, there were 4,779 65-week breaches, of which 4,374 were at UHSFT.

NHS Sussex said reducing both diagnostic and planned care waiting lists had been a "priority".

'Really positive step'

In April and May, it reallocated 3000 patients to other providers.

It said 980 of these were at risk of breaching 65 weeks at the end of September.

Mr de Rozarieux said 600 were passed to an alternative NHS provider in Sussex, 2,200 to independent providers in Sussex, and 200 to an independent provider or NHS trusts outside the county.

The system uses data to match patients with alternative providers which are "as close to home as possible", and the work is paid for at standard tariff rates, the NHS said.

Huw Edwards, managing director for planned care and cancer at UHSFT, said: “Too many patients are waiting too long, and so we needed new thinking to address that fundamental challenge."

He described the new approach as a "really positive step" and "one we hope to embed and extend".