New Scottish initiative to cut back NHS waiting lists
More private hospital facilities could be used to tackle NHS waiting lists in Scotland, following the launch of the National Waiting Times Unit by the Scottish Executive.
The unit is the first such initiative to be launched in Scotland and aims to cut local waiting lists by identifying potential problems and pulling on other resources to speed up patient treatment.
The remit of the new unit includes working with NHS boards on how they can co-ordinate better use of the limited spare capacity that exists in the Scottish private sector.
Kirsten McKenzie, spokesperson for the Scottish Executive, said the move could mean an increase in the use of private facilities by the NHS in Scotland. 'We already use private facilities when necessary. It is difficult to say whether the launch of the unit will bring an increase in the amount of private hospitals used, but it is certainly something the unit will be looking at,' she said.
BUPA said that its Murryfield Hospital in Edinburgh ' which specialises in operations on hips, knees and varicose veins ' was ready and waiting to take on extra NHS patients, though the insurer added that private patients would be given priority. Gair Stott, general manager of Murrayfield Hospital, said: 'It is important that any arrangement is carried out with proper planning on a long-term basis to make best use of any spare capacity we have.'
Scottish health minister Malcolm Chisholm said the unit will work towards providing a more efficient predictor of problem areas for delays. He said no resources, including private facilities, would be ruled out in order to tackle waiting lists. 'The unit will provide us with an early warning system for delays in the NHS so we can see where bottlenecks and pressures are arising. To assess what capacity really exists, to scrutinise what pressures local health systems are under, and then to co-ordinate responses to those demands.
'The unit will ensure the best use of our collective health resources, and will target its work to provide the greatest benefit for those in the greatest need. No area of treatment will be outside its remit,' he said.
The new unit is initially putting cancer treatment and vital heart surgery at the top of its priority list. 'Reducing delays in every part of our healthcare system is my top priority. Many important initiatives to reduce delays have already been introduced over the past few years. But there is much more to achieve, and I want to see progress speeded up over the coming year,' he said.
