Patients who spend 10 months on the NHS waiting list will be given the option to travel 100 miles for care

Patients who have been on the NHS waiting list for at least ten months are being offered treatment hundreds of miles away.

Letters, emails and text messages will be sent to approximately 400,000 patients asking if they would be willing to travel for faster care.

They will be asked how far they are willing to go – 50 miles, 100 miles or nationally – before being matched with alternative hospitals that can see them sooner. Health leaders say the move will maximize the capacity of the NHS while giving patients more choice and control.

But critics say it is ‘not a panacea’ and could exclude people who feel too old or sick to travel.

Patients are eligible if they wait longer than 40 weeks and do not have an appointment scheduled within the next eight weeks — an estimated 5 percent of those on the record-setting list of 7.75 million.

Patients who have been on the NHS waiting list for at least ten months are being offered treatment hundreds of miles away (File image)

The NHS will use a ‘matching platform’ launched earlier this year to match patients with NHS and private sector hospitals outside their region. If no alternative hospital is found within two months, the patient will remain with their current provider and retain their position on the waiting list.

Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, said it ‘demonstrates the clear benefits of a single national healthcare service, with staff able to share capacity across the country’.

She added: ‘This new move to offer NHS patients who have been waiting the longest the opportunity to consider traveling for treatment is just another example of how we are introducing new approaches to reduce patient waiting times, while at the same time improving the choice and control they have. above their own care.

‘So whether a patient’s care moves to the next town or somewhere further afield, it is absolutely right that we make the most of available capacity across the country to reduce the backlogs that have inevitably arisen as a result of the pandemic continue to eliminate and provide the best possible service.’

Critics say it’s ‘not a silver bullet’ and could rule out people who feel too old or sick to travel (File image)

The latest data shows that around 397,000 patients have been waiting for more than a year for treatment, including almost 9,000 after more than 18 months. Patients will be contacted directly by their NHS trust or independent sector provider and should not contact their GP practice or hospital.

Funding and support will be available to help people who have difficulty travelling, such as taxis or hotels for the elderly or disabled. However, the NHS admits that some patients are not eligible if their clinical condition is too complex, making it inappropriate to travel.

Rory Deighton of the NHS Confederation, which represents healthcare employers, said the move would ease pressure on some of the most stressed parts of the system.

He added: ‘Targeting demand to places with capacity is sensible and will benefit those patients who are able and willing to travel.

‘But health leaders will be aware that this plan will not work for everyone, as some patients will not feel able or comfortable traveling very far for their treatment, and others with minor health conditions may even prefer waiting for an appointment. available from their local healthcare provider.”

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: ‘Empowering people to choose where and when they receive their treatment will help tackle waiting lists and improve access to NHS care.’