Faster care for patients

Glenn Drake-Owen at his GP surgery

Increased numbers of patients in the Rochdale Borough are receiving treatment within 18 weeks of referral from their GP, figures released by the Department of Health show. 

Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Primary Care Trust say the (HMRPCT) announcement demonstrates that the PCT is firmly on track to meet the Government’s target that by December 2008 every patient, for whom it is clinically appropriate and who wants it, will start their treatment within 18 weeks.

Melissa Laskey, Head of Scheduled Care at HMRPCT, said: “We’re making excellent progress in delivering the 18 weeks target for December 2008.

“We met the national milestone in March, with 92.1% of patients requiring admission to hospital and 90.9% of patients not needing admission receiving treatment within 18 weeks of referral from their GP.

“We know that patients want to get their appointments, diagnosis and treatment as quickly as possible with the minimum number of visits to hospital or their GP, so we are improving our services to make the system simpler and quicker so that our patients get the best experience possible when they need treatment.

“Clinical Assessment and Treatment Services (CATS), are just one of the new services we have launched this year to ensure patients are treated faster.

“We are bringing more services closer to home, in new and existing health centres and GP surgeries across the borough, so we can reduce waiting times for everyone.”

Property surveyor Glenn Drake-Owen, 34, from Milnrow, was impressed by his experience when he needed an operation. “I had been having problems breathing, which meant I often woke up in the night, and eventually went to see my GP. He said I needed a septoplasty - minor surgery to my nose to clear my airway.

"I work long hours so I was worried it would be difficult to fit any treatment into my schedule. Instead I was given a choice of dates and everything was fast and efficient.”

Mr Drake-Owen had a pre-op appointment at the Royal Oldham Hospital and had his operation as a day patient before Christmas. The time between his first appointment and treatment was 14 weeks. He says: “The speed between my first appointment and the treatment was superb and surprised me after some of the negative things you hear about waiting lists.

"I was very pleased to get an appointment in December because January is our busiest month and I would have struggled to have the time off then. I was in and out of hospital in a day, which suited me because I definitely wouldn’t have wanted to stay in hospital.

"The treatment was a success and I am sleeping a lot better now.”

Health Minister for Public Health, Dawn Primarolo said: “Reducing patient waiting times is a major achievement of hospitals and primary care trusts.

“As well as demonstrating that NHS reform is leading to clinically appropriate effective treatment and care, the data indicates that most NHS trusts are on track to achieve the December target to treat all patients within 18 weeks and many have already met it.

“Ten years ago it was not uncommon to wait 18 months or more for treatment and people died languishing on waiting lists – it’s fantastic that almost all patients now begin treatment within 18 weeks.”