Spotlight on the Patient Access team | News

When it comes to improving waiting times and helping patients access care more quickly, our Patient Access team is delivering real results.

The team tracks every patient’s journey from referral through to treatment. In the NHS, this is known as the Referral to Treatment (RTT) pathway, which measures how long it takes for a patient to move from referral, usually by their GP, to receiving the care they need.

The team is made up of specialist staff working across data quality, training and eReferral Service functions. Together, they play an important but often unseen role in helping patients move safely and efficiently through the healthcare system, while ensuring national waiting time standards are met.

Keeping patient pathways on track

A key part of the team’s role is reviewing and managing waiting lists to make sure patient records remain accurate and up to date while people wait for treatment. This is called validation.

Every referral is carefully checked from referral through each stage of their treatment journey. NHS guidance requires all patients waiting longer than 12 weeks to have their pathway reviewed regularly to ensure records are accurate and care is progressing.

Over the past year, the team completed more than 282,000 validations, contributing to 149,718 completed treatment pathways.

Mark, an RTT Patient Pathway Analyst, says: “We are constantly checking pathways to make sure they are correct. Validating the pathways means that the patient can get the best care available as we can make sure appointments are booked, patients are added to the waiting list and diagnostics are booked in order for the patient to be seen and treated sooner.”

High performance delivering added value

Over the past year, the team’s work has not only supported improvements but also generated £398,673 in additional income for the Trust.

This was achieved through five NHS England validation sprints, which are focused programmes designed to help organisations review and update patient pathways quickly.

During these exercises, the team identified and recorded 12,081 additional completed treatment pathways.

By ensuring patient records were accurate and up to date, the team was able to secure additional funding while improving the overall quality of our data.

Collaboration across services

Collaboration is central to the team’s success.

Weekly patient tracking meetings bring teams together to review patients with the longest waits and ensure plans are in place for their ongoing care. Clinical teams also regularly seek advice from the Patient Access team on more complex patient pathways to help patients receive treatment as promptly as possible.

The team has also supported the expansion of patient-initiated follow up (PIFU). This approach gives patients greater control over their follow-up care by allowing them to request specialist appointments when they feel they need them, rather than attending routine appointments that may not be necessary.

As well as giving patients more flexibility, PIFU helps reduce unnecessary outpatient appointments, freeing up appointments for other patients waiting to be seen.

Getting referrals right first time

The team also reviews referrals to make sure patients are directed to the most appropriate service, first time.

Sometimes referrals require additional information or may need to be redirected to a different specialist team. By reviewing these referrals early, the Patient Access team helps reduce delays and supports patients to access the right treatment more quickly.

Training and continuous improvement

The Patient Access Training team plays a key role in improving staff understanding of RTT rules and patient pathways across the Trust.

All new staff receive structured training, alongside tailored support sessions for existing teams.

Over the past year, the team delivered 163 “Mastering Referral to Treatment” sessions and more than 300 additional training and support sessions. This helps ensure staff across the Trust understand the RTT process and have the knowledge needed to support patients through their journey as quickly and efficiently as possible.

A busy but rewarding job

Although much of the team’s work happens behind the scenes, its impact is significant.

Debbie, RTT Patient Pathway Analyst says: “What I love about my job is being able to make a difference to patients despite not being on the frontline, as well as working in a dynamic team that always strives to meet targets, as shown by our end-of-year performance.”

Reflecting on the importance of teamwork, James, Senior ERS Coordinator, says: “We work really well together as a team and support each other with challenging queries. Having this strong relationship helps us pull together to reach our targets.”