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North East NHS trust sharing model to cut waiting lists for gastroenterology patients

A model which has slashed waiting lists for gastroenterology patients in Northumberland and North Tyneside is now being shared across the NHS.

The gastroenterology team at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has successfully developed a way of working collaboratively with GPs to help patients get the care they need as quickly as possible.

It has resulted in the trust’s service – for patients with liver, stomach and bowel conditions – having among the shortest waits in the country.

This has been done by developing an enhanced Single Point of Access – a system which allows GPs to discuss patient care with specialists like consultants without the need for a full referral.

Matt Warren, a consultant gastroenterologist at Northumbria Healthcare, said: "Our model means that we can support GPs to manage some patients themselves, getting them onto the right treatment plan quickly.

"This frees up time for us to see those patients that do need hospital care, but the discussions with GPs allow us to make sure we see them in the right clinic and send them for the right diagnostic tests the first time.

"Patients benefit from faster expert advice, their treatment starting sooner, care closer to home in many cases, and we avoid unnecessary hospital appointments."

Key to this approach has been the efforts to work with GPs to create a system that helps both sides to deliver a better experience for patients.

Consultant gastroenterologist Richard Thomson said: "Early on in the development of this initiative, we adopted a mantra of ‘discuss with, not refer to’ to reflect how we wanted to collaborate with GPs. Those we work with tell us that they value our personalised approach and how we have built relationships.

"While some patients will end up on a traditional pathway as a hospital outpatient, in many cases we are empowering GPs to manage patients themselves, supporting more care to be delivered in communities."

Now, Northumbria Healthcare’s team has been contracted by NHS England and is working with 10 other NHS trusts across the country to share its model and support work to reduce waiting times and ensure patients get the right care in the right place at the right time.

Richard Sterry is the trust’s head of performance and improvement who has been leading the national programme, and until recently was the general manager for the gastroenterology service.

"At Northumbria, we are focused on performance and on driving improvements that improve performance, because this means better care for patients, whether that be shorter waits, better quality care, or making their journey through the healthcare system easier," he said.

"The work Richard, Matt and other colleagues are doing is genuinely making a difference to the service we can provide to patients. We believe it is something that can be replicated elsewhere and are delighted to be able to support colleagues across the NHS to deliver the same benefits."

Collaboration is the key, and not just consultants working with GPs. The Northumbria team also highlighted the close collaboration of clinicians and managers to deliver a shared vision as one of the key drivers of success.

Stella Vig, National Clinical Director for Elective Care at NHS England, said: "This is a fantastic example of a collaborative approach between GPs and specialists leading to quicker access to care – cutting out the need for hospital care for some and delivering faster treatment for others. With this approach being expanded further, even more patients will benefit from the positive impact."

Notes to editors

The 10 trusts involved in the project are:

• Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
• Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
• University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
• Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
• NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group
• Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust
• Humber Health Partnership (incorporating Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust)
• The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust
• Barts Health NHS Trust
• Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust