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PKB supports trusts' elective recovery plans for Waiting List Validation (WLV) with our understanding that it's about capturing more and better data about patients waiting on lists.
Waiting list validation via PKB can be done extremely quickly and efficiently to meet the current NHSE deadlines using a manual workflow that requires no technical integration, so this should not be seen as a limiting step.
Trusts can use PKB to validate patients regularly using the questionnaire tool, checking if they still need to be on the list, who can travel to other surrounding hospitals for their appointment and who is available at short notice if cancellations occur. The trust team removes any patient no longer needed on the list, ensuring the waiting list is accurate and up to date and allowing other patients to be treated quicker by utilising appointment slots in the trust and surrounding hospitals.
Step up
This is the suggested manual workflow PKB can help you set up. Contact your Success PM for further guidance.
Current problems
Long waiting list
No process to discuss any changes to the patient's condition
Unknown deterioration resulting in emergency admissions
Resulting in more money and time being wasted
Bad patients and clinical teams experience
Patients are not always fit for surgery
No education or support for patients
Paper and phone-based approaches are not fit for purpose
PKB solutions
Contacting patients to see if they still need the op via an automated questionnaire
APIs to trigger sending and extracting back to PAS/EPR/Dashboard
Questionnaires issued at various times of a patient’s pathway (confirming they still need an appointment)
Remove people who can be removed
Collect data to determine if someone's position on the list has changed (i.e. have they deteriorated)
Ability to collect better data about who is best to offer the last min cancellations
Collect data about who is willing to travel to other locations so they can be seen quickly.
Give trusts the ability to contact their waiting patients more often, improving patient experience as they know they haven't forgotten and don't need to chase
Empowering staff to use digital solutions, increasing resilience and adaptability
Digital workflows that are scalable around all specialities
The digital solution for all NHS elective recovery pathways, further info here.
Waitlist management for Emeet and Greet, Waiting well, WLV and digital decision support tool care plans
Benefits
Streamline processes and automate engagement to reduce admin and clinical time
Keep in touch maintain patient contact with minimal staff resources to reducing unnecessary calls
Reduce did not attend (DNAs), prompt patients no longer requiring treatment to opt out and improve attendance rates by keeping all patients informed
Save clinic time, capture early assessment information before the appointment, saving time and avoiding on-the-day theatre cancellations
Cost-efficient solution, utilise WLV functionality Trust-wide or within one specialty at no additional cost
Use cases
Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust
Completed a trial implementing tailored Waiting List Validation Questionnaires sent to patients via PKB across 14 clinical specialities. With patient response rates of 50-80%, they achieved an immediate 6% reduction in the waiting list and an estimated £14,000 saving in clinical costs if the patients who were discharged had missed appointments. With proven positive impact, this is now being expanded across more specialities, integrating automation for more effective pathway management. To read the full case study, click here.
6% of patients requested to be removed from the waiting list, resulting in improved efficiency and reduced backlog.
Estimated cost savings of £14,000 in clinical expenses for a small cohort by avoiding unnecessary Did Not Attends (DNAs).
94% of patients requested to remain on the waiting list, ensuring appropriate prioritisation and care delivery - of the patient responses received, 48% were submitted via PKB, with 47% completed within 2 hours. This rapid response time provided the Trust with a real-time snapshot of the waiting list, which is essential for effective management in the face of constant changes.
Example Advanced Questionnaire (AQ) template
Example WLV Questionnaire Template
University Hospitals of North Midlands
As part of a nationwide programme, UHNM is using PKB APIs to trigger the sending of questionnaires to patients, gathering BMI stats from patients awaiting surgery. They use this data to decide whether their surgery is still okay to proceed or whether patients must be put on a weight management programme or delay their surgery.
Focused on the provision of digital weight management services that can be delivered flexibly, without the need for people to travel
Promote rehabilitation for surgery
12 weeks programme
The pilot programme is for a 12 month period
Hywel Dda University Health Board
Have implemented a pre-habilitation programme for those awaiting orthopaedic surgery. Patients are given a personalised care plan 8 weeks before their surgery, with week-by-week guidance to prepare for their procedure and the rehabilitation afterwards. The health board is now looking to spread this to support more individuals on the waiting list and across more therapeutic areas. Read more about the HDUHB virtual orthopaedic prehabilitation programme here in NHS England's digital playbook.Hull University Teaching Hospital
Key features
All services validating waiting lists can use key PKB features to capture data. Below is a list of them.
Questionnaires
Patients can initiate a questionnaire by clicking Start Questionnaire on their homepage or directly within the NHS App. Once completed, the questionnaire can be sent to a professional or team.
Teams using the questionnaire tool can ensure the outcome of clinical reviews is recorded, and the patient has a copy. Teams can also identify patients suitable for virtual appointments or PIFU.
Advanced Questionnaires
PKB’s advanced questionnaire functionality includes:
Scoring and calculations
Branching, allowing patients to complete the parts of the questionnaire that are relevant to them
Coded fields questionnaires can be mapped to clinical codes
Patients can save drafts
Send questionnaires to patients who aren’t registered or already in your team
Questionnaire templates
Messaging
Patients have access to message their healthcare team (saving time on the phone)
The Admin team can triage messages. Either resolving or passing onto another speciality team
Universal Messaging is the ability for patients to message clinical and non-clinical teams
Team-based messaging allows teams to automatically receive secure messages and questionnaires as a group rather than as individuals.
Library
Waiting Well resources
Online patient leaflets
Support group information
Videos
Care plans
PKB care plans can be used at every stage of a patient's condition journey. Below are some of the care plan templates being used and templates that can be created.
Living Well for Longer
Condition information and resource care plans
Monitoring condition plan (example cardiology monitoring care plan)
Rehab, physical activity and musculoskeletal health
Enhanced recovery care plan
Appointments
Appointment letters and appointments sent to PKB via integration
Manually entered appointments
Workflow
Validate the Trusts Waiting list in line with NHSE.
Patients will be added to the team, and a questionnaire will be sent asking if they still want their appointment. Once the Trust collects the response, they can Validate their waiting list and either discharge the patient from the PKB team or keep the patient in the team, sending a waiting list validation Questionnaire as needed and in line with NHSE guidelines. For those patients not registered in PKB, the Trust will send a digital letter to the patient's PKB record or SMS to encourage them to register for PKB and complete the waiting QA.
Example goals for WLV team
Reduce waiting list for the ………… team by December 2025 (... months post admin team go live) from (current waiting list times) to ( %) by validating all patients on the waiting for appointments by sending them a digital questionnaire through PKB instead of by post or not at all. Current waiting list rates are (%). …. months post-going live, the team compared the waiting list of patients with and without a PKB record. It is a local NHS priority to reduce waiting lists to save money.
Reduce the number of missed appointments (DNA) for the rheumatology team by Sept 2025 (12 months post team go live) from (current missed appointments) to ( %) by sending all appointment letters and appointment details into PKB instead of by post. Current missed appointment rates are (%). 12 months post-going live, the team compared missed appointment rates of patients with and without a PKB record. It is a local NHS priority to reduce missed appointments to save money.
Further information
Digital support at every stage of the pathway, how PKB can support trusts with their elective care pathways
Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust uses Patients Know Best for Waiting List Validation case study
Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust's journey with PKB is utilising PKB to capture data ahead of appointments, freeing up capacity. This is being implemented across their surgical pathways
The Rheumatology Team is seeing cost benefits in using PKB to streamline processes, saving admin time and money
Waiting well: Prehab, staying well while waiting for surgery/treatment, including resources and information to check the patient’s situation