NHS waiting times to be revealed at the touch of a button

A record number of patients are waiting for pre-planned hospital care.

People will be able to access information about their care while they wait (PA) (PA Wire)

Patients caught up in the record NHS backlog of care will soon be given access to tailored information on how long they could expect to wait and be given self-care tips to use before they get their treatment.

Some six million people are on the NHS waiting list in England alone.

Many of the people waiting for hospital care are in pain and some are anxious about how long they will be waiting.

The health service has developed a new tool which aims to give people approximate waiting times.

The new platform, My Planned Care, aims to give people information about their treatment at the touch of a button.

Initially around 5.5 million people will be able to find the average waiting time at their local hospital for the specialist area they need treatment in.

NHS England said the tool will be expanded in the coming months to include personalised information and support for patients on the waiting list to help them stay well while they wait, including advice on how best to manage symptoms.

Professor Stephen Powis, national medical director for the NHS in England, said: “Treating more than 600,000 Covid patients in hospital over the last two years has inevitably had an impact on routine care and staff are doing everything they can to reduce the backlogs that have inevitably built up.

“We know that it can be frustrating for patients who are waiting and so this online site will help to give patients and their families crucial information about how long they might have to wait, helping them feel more informed about their treatment plan.

“And, as we have always said throughout the pandemic, it is vitally important that anybody who has health concerns continues to come forward, so that the NHS can help you get the care you need.”

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: “This first-of-its-kind platform will give millions of patients more certainty over their own care no matter who they are or where they live.”