Patients could be given 'alternative' treatments as Doncaster health bosses try to get services back to normal

Patients could be given ‘alternative’ treatments as Doncaster health bosses try to get services back to normal.
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The ‘alternative’ options would be in non emergency treatments, as health bosses are being told to get services back towards pre-coronavirus levels.

NHS Doncaster Clinical Commissioning Group director of strategy and delivery, Anthony Fitzgerald, said the Government was now asking health bosses to get non-essential treatment figures back to normal.

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He told the CCG’s board of governors: “Elective waiting times are a hot topic and the focus of a lot of work locally.

Government is now putting pressure on health bosses to get non essential treatment back to normal as well as essential operations. The pictures shows a team ready to carry out keyhole surgeryGovernment is now putting pressure on health bosses to get non essential treatment back to normal as well as essential operations. The pictures shows a team ready to carry out keyhole surgery
Government is now putting pressure on health bosses to get non essential treatment back to normal as well as essential operations. The pictures shows a team ready to carry out keyhole surgery

"Waits have increased – that is what we expected. Work now is about recovery.

“By October, 90 per cent of elective and day case procedures should be at 90 per cent of pre-Covid levels.

"Diagnostic processes should be the same as October 2019 in October this year.”

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He said treatments would be risk assessed and in some cases, they may look into possible alternative treatments.

Dr Rao Kolusu, who represents GPs in the east of Doncaster on the board, said it was important if a patient’s condition changed, they tell the hospital or GP so they could be prioritised if necessary.

Dr Emyr Jones added: “It is going to be a very difficult job to allocate appropriate priorities to people who have been waiting, and as Rao says, it’s important that the public know if there is a change or deterioration, to seek advice.”

Non emergency patients should not have to wait more than 18 weeks before they are referred to treatment, with a target of 92 per cent. It is currently 53 per cent in Doncaster.

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Meanwhile, a report by the CCG’s performance and intelligence team stated cancer referrals in the borough were starting to recover to normal amounts.

It added: “The numbers of referrals have increased in July where eight of the nine major tracked tumour groups have shown an increase of 20 per cent above the pre-Covid 19 average referral numbers. Through the first two weeks of August, referral numbers have returned to pre-covid average levels. All waits above target are monitored and discussed at the Cancer Programme Board.”

The report revealed one patient waited 104 days from referral to being seen – the target is two weeks – due to a Covid-19 related breach.

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