Wide disparities found in NHS waiting times and referral rates

Waiting times and access to treatments on the NHS dramatically vary across England, a new report has found.

The report, by Medical Technology Group (MTG), says that it is not what you need but where you are which dictates your healthcare.

The study found wide disparities between the performance of NHS England clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) for patient waiting times and referral rates across a variety of different treatments.

Those in the east and south-east face the poorest service, with CCGs in these regions featuring among the worst performers for both 18-week waiting times between referral and treatment, and the lowest overall rates of procedures carried out, the report revealed.

Based on data from the NHS’s database on 18-week referral to treatment times, the report’s authors found that nine of the 10 CCGs with the poorest record were in the south of England, while six of the 10 best were in the north.

The team also found that overall, about 90 per cent of 18-week wait targets are now met by the NHS, a drop from almost 95 per cent in autumn 2012.

The authors write that austerity measures are leading many CCGs to limit access to treatments. They argue for a user-friendly website featuring waiting times, with CCGs missing the 18-week target 75 per cent of the time in any area forced to publicise the fact on their website.

The report said: “Whilst the ambition is to deliver world class healthcare wherever you are, the reality is that many patients in different parts of the country will receive very different treatment.”

Barbara Harpham, chair of the MTG, said: “The surprise was a clear north-south divide. In 2017 this shouldn’t be happening. Everyone should have equal access to what they need.

“It doesn’t appear to be just about populations – it appears to be about individual CCGs’ choices of how they spend their money.”

An NHS England spokesman said: “Although this report by companies seeking to sell products to the NHS is largely a rehash of old and previously published data, the NHS RightCare programme is helping local areas identify which treatment differences are linked to local need, and which aren’t.”