A practical, operational checklist supporting NHS service managers to reduce long waits for outpatient appointments is now available from the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) and Outpatient Recovery and Transformation Programme (OPRT) teams.
The Clinically-led Outpatient Guidance: checklist follows on from joint guidance released at the end of 2022, offering practical advice for the 15 specialties with the highest number of +78 week waits, as well as support on common themes and challenges in outpatient services, such as remote consultation, reducing DNAs, and implementing patient initiated follow-up (PIFU).
The new checklist is a supplementary resource to be used in conjunction with Clinically-led Specialty Outpatient Guidance. It aims to help operational teams identify gaps and opportunities, featuring additional suggestions for service managers and general checklists to support improvement across non-admitted pathways for all outpatient services.
A range of specialty specific guides are also available to enable teams to carry out a gap analysis of existing service models, evaluating how they compare to recommended good practice and identifying opportunities for improvement.
Below are the 15 specialties currently available. Click on each of the links below to access the guides:
