Why 

Due to an unprecedented demand for elective treatment or surgery, hospital waiting lists have reached an all-time high. In response to this challenging situation, hospitals are taking proactive measures to address patients' needs.

One such measure is considering transferring patients who have been waiting for over 40 weeks to other hospitals where they can potentially receive earlier care or treatment. This initiative aims to alleviate the burden and ensure that patients receive treatment in a more timely manner.

By implementing this strategy, hospitals aim to reduce waiting times, improve access to care, and provide patients with the medical treatment they urgently need. 

What 

PKB is the digital tool for notifying patients who have waited longer than 40 weeks. It informs them about this opportunity and signsposts them to the relevant website to select an alternate hospital for their treatment.

When a GP refers a patient for a physical or mental health condition, they have the legal right to choose the hospital or service they want to go to. Patients also have the legal right to ask for their appointment to be moved to a different provider if they are likely to wait longer than the maximum waiting time specified for the required treatment. 

Subsequently, the hospital or Integrated Care Board (ICB) must conduct an inquiry and present a range of viable alternative hospitals or clinics capable of accommodating patients in a more timely manner.

How 

To reduce patient wait times for elective treatment or surgery, healthcare organisations can use PKB and Hybrid mail provider to send patients a letter informing them of their option to request a transfer to another hospital. 

Workflow 

Open

Open

Benefits of using PKB 

• Reduce the cost of paper and postage

• Reduce admin time

• Comply with the organisation's environment net zero goals

• Read the recipe so patients don't miss letters

• Information in the hands of the patient

Improve registration rates

Increasing the organisation's patient registration rates is important and will impact the benefits of sending patients letters digitally, reducing the cost and efficiency of communicating with your patients. To read more about the benefits of sending letters in PKB, click here.