Our vision for planned care stated:
“Patients will be able to manage simple conditions themselves, getting advice when they need it from their local pharmacy, or online or by phone from NHS Direct.
Far more planned or pre-arranged care will be provided locally. Tests and investigations will be provided in more local settings, including x-rays and some scans. Far more specialist outpatient clinics will be held on an outreach basis at local facilities avoiding the need to go to hospital.
More surgery will take place on a day case basis which means it can be carried out safely in more local settings.
If a patient needs to visit their GP they will find it easier to book appointments that are convenient to them. In some cases they may not need an appointment but can obtain advice from their GP by phone or get help from another member of the primary care team such as a practice nurse.
Patients who are referred to a specialist will be able to choose an appointment convenient to them at a hospital of their choice.”
Delivering our vision in more challenging times
We have now entered a time of greater financial constraint which means we need to refresh the way we plan to continue to deliver our vision. We need to prioritise the changes we can make that will have the biggest impact on driving up quality while at the same time help make our local NHS more efficient.
In the area of planned care, the East Midlands health community is concentrating on a number of key areas:
