Key facts
- Patients awaiting hospital treatment will receive at least three weeks' notice for appointments.
- The new NHS England plan aims to improve patient experience and communication.
- Hospitals are being directed to implement new 'five-star customer service' standards.
- Patients will be notified via the NHS app, letter, or text message.
- The initiative draws inspiration from customer service models of companies like Amazon and John Lewis.
NHS England is rolling out new plans to ensure patients awaiting hospital treatment receive at least three weeks' notice for their appointments, diagnostic tests, or consultant meetings. This initiative, inspired by the customer service standards of online retailers such as Amazon and John Lewis, aims to enhance the patient experience and rectify issues where appointment invitations arrive after the scheduled time.
Jim Mackey, NHS England's chief executive, stated that the current communication methods are "clearly unacceptable" and that improving patient experience requires fixing basic communication. The new "patient experience standards" are designed to address the lack of information patients often receive while on waiting lists, including confirmation of GP referrals. The NHS app will be used to notify patients when a specialist accepts their referral, with options for letter or text updates for those who prefer them.
Research from the King's Fund highlighted that nearly a quarter of patients were notified about appointments after they were due, and many felt "left in the dark." Patient advocacy groups, like Healthwatch England, view these standards as a crucial signal that customer service is as important as wait times. William Pett of Healthwatch England noted that these are "simple and clear standards that should be the bare minimum" and emphasized the need for patient experience to be central to decision-making and service planning.