Patients waiting to have NHS operations could lose promise of being seen in 18 weeks, documents reveal

Patients waiting to have NHS operations could lose promise of being seen in 18 weeks, documents reveal Patients waiting to have an operation on the NHS could lose the promise of being seen within 18 weeks as health bosses consider replacing the target with an average instead, it has emerged.

According to hospital documents, seen by the Health Service Journal, the new waiting-time target for NHS patients is expected to be changed from the current 18 weeks to an average wait of 8.5 weeks.

The NHS is field-testing new targets at 12 hospitals, including Northampton General Hospital Trust, where board papers said: “The target average wait is expected to be 8.5 weeks from referral although this has not yet been set. The current average at NGH is 11 weeks.” The Independent

See also:

• NHS could SCRAP its 18-week surgery waiting target even though 4.42MILLION people are on the list The Daily Mail
• New NHS plans could mean average wait of eight and a half weeks The Daily Telegraph
• Flagship waiting time target ‘expected’ to be relaxed Health Service Journal
• What would an 8.5 weeks average elective target look like? Health Service Journal