Are you on a hospital waiting list?

And tough decisions on delays are having to be made at hospitals across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

It will take time to bring services back to pre-Covid levels because social distancing and safety rules mean fewer patients can be seen.

In addition, NHS staff are returning to their posts after being redeployed in the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. And it’s important that they have time to rest and recuperate too.

So it’s going to take time to restore local services – and deal with the backlog. And, as a result, many people are having to wait longer.

How local NHS lists are being managed

Our hospitals say they are regularly and carefully reviewing their lists and continuously risk-assessing patients who are waiting.

Priority is going to people with the greatest clinical need, rather than time spent waiting.

The foundation trusts managing our hospitals acknowledge the disappointment, frustration and anxiety for everyone waiting.

And they say they are making sure the patients know what to do and who to contact if their condition gets worse.

Service updates and advice

Addenbrooke’s Hospital/Cambridge University Hospitals

• Letters are going to patients waiting for an appointment, procedure or test for longer than normally expected.
• CUH says it is doing all it can to restart its services in a safe way.It will take time to bring services back to pre-pandemic levels.
• While urgent care continues to be provided for everybody who needs it, difficult decisions have to be made about delaying non-emergency operations, outpatient appointments and investigations. 
• Care is being prioritised for those who may suffer serious harm if they're not treated soon. 
• The CUH website has information about what to do it you have concerns about your health condition.

CUH website: https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/visiting-our-hospitals/waiting-times/

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

• As things improve and more people get vaccinated, services are working through operational plans to get services restored as soon as possible.
• Many CPFT services have continued to accept and triage referrals throughout the year. And the trust says it is continuing to take new referrals and is working hard to restore services and see patients as quickly and safely as it can.
• Staff will be "working tirelessly to reduce delays but please bear with as it will take some time to return to pre-COVID positions".
• If your circumstances change, follow the advice given by the staff who handled your referral and/or follow the information in the guidance panel above.

CPFT website:https://www.cpft.nhs.uk/index.cfm?page=covid-information

Hinchingbrooke Hospital and Peterborough City Hospital

• Most NWAnglia FT services are now open, however the pause to services earlier in the year means waiting times have increased.
• The hospital trust says it is working through the backlog as quickly as it can.
• Letters are going to patients waiting for treatment explaining what to do if they are worried about their condition or if their symptoms have get worse.
• The hospital trust is developing videos in different languages to help patients while they wait. In the meantime, its website has guidance and options on who to contact if your health changes or you become worried about worsening symptoms. These cover outpatient and diagnostic appointments, surgery or outpatient procedures.

NWAngliaFT website: https://www.nwangliaft.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/covid-19-information-relating-to-waiting-times/

Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kings Lynn

• Routine tests and treatments are restarting in a way that keeps people safe – through social distancing and infection control measures.
• Prioritising patients waiting for cancer or other urgent surgery
• And working hard to reduce the longest waiting times as soon as possible.

QEHKL website: http://www.qehkl.nhs.uk/Coronavirus.asp

Royal Papworth Hospital

• Emergency surgery/procedures have remained open throughout the pandemic – including “urgent” heart transplants, heart attack treatment and insertion of coronary stents.
• Patients waiting for elective (planned) operations and procedures are being given a point of contact at the hospital to report to if symptoms get worse – either more severe or more often.
• Those adversely impacted by waiting longer, will be booked in.
• If you are on the RPH waiting list and begin to feel unwell at any point, contact your GP (or call 999 in an emergency). 
• Seek help immediately for any signs of a heart attack or lung cancer.

RPH website: https://royalpapworth.nhs.uk/coronavirus