Developing diagnostic and elective capacity

A programme of investment and reform is being taken forward in the coming years to reshape the delivery of care and help improve NHS performance.

Increasing investment in community health services, such as primary care and social care, will help treat more people locally and work to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions and procedures.

Where acute care is required the creation of a new elective and diagnostic centre network is being developed by NHS boards, which will map targeted increased capacity against expected future demand.

The Golden Jubilee National Hospital received £5 million funding to be the “trailblazer” for the new network, which will increase both diagnostic and surgical capacity.

Health Secretary Shona Robison said:

“It is extremely important to us that patients who are waiting for treatment such as surgery, a diagnostic test or an outpatient consultation, are seen as quickly as possible.

“We’re investing substantially in social care and community care, with a view to keeping people healthy at home for as long as possible. This will, in time, help prevent the need for many people to go to hospital.

“These changes won’t happen overnight but they are part of a clear, long-term strategy of matching increased investment in our NHS with reform to ensure our health service is providing care to the people of Scotland long into the future.

“For outpatients that means that, as well as providing £10 million to deliver 40,000 more appointments, we are also reforming how outpatient appointments are delivered - freeing up to 400,000 extra outpatient appointments by 2020.

“The Golden Jubilee is our trailblazer for the new elective and diagnostic centre network. From April they are increasing their volume of ophthalmic surgeries, with new theatres opening. From the Autumn the first of two state-of-the-art MRI scanners will come on stream. The total new capacity of the new scanners will allow for an additional 10,000 scans a year.

“Where individual boards need support we seek to provide it - for example we recently allocated an additional half a million pounds to NHS Highland to get the people in that area their hospital appointment more quickly.

“NHS staff are working hard on the ground and through record investment and reform we can help them keep our health service fit for the future.”

Background

The latest Hospital Waiting Times statistics, for Diagnostic, New Outpatient, Inpatient, Day Case and Referral to Treatment have been published today on the ISD Scotland website: http://www.isdscotland.org/