In this week’s column, I want to focus on QEH looking at what is happening on waiting times, plans for the new hospital, and what difference clinical trials are making for patient care.
Transparency is key to accountability across the public services and nowhere more so than in the NHS. When QEH performed poorly in the NHS national league tables, I welcomed publication of the data so that it could be used to drive improved performance.
So what has happened? Well, at the start of the year the proportion of patients being treated within 18 weeks was 53.9 per cent at QEH, compared to 61.5 per cent nationally. On the most recent figures that has increased to 58.5 per cent with national average of 65 per cent. Now 1.3 per cent of patients wait more than a year – the same as the national average.
An area I have raised particular concerns about with the Trust leadership and ministers are cancer wait times. It is encouraging the proportion of patients being treated within two months has risen from 52 per cent at the end of last year to 56.5 per cent, however this is still well below where it should be. Similarly, there has been a slight increase in the proportion of patients seen within the four hour A&E target time.
Part of the reason for the improvements are a sprint period of activity where staff delivered 2,000 additional elective activities including evening and weekend working. Before he quit, I urged the Health Secretary to maintain these levels of productivity to benefit patients.
Delivering a new QEH is my priority and having raised this repeatedly with ministers I am delighted approval has now been granted for the full business case for the new multi-storey car park. This is the key enabling project that will free up the existing car park where the new hospital will be built. Following the successful relocation of the bus station to opposite the Community Diagnostic Centre, preparation for the main works will begin in early June, with construction of the car park set to start at the end of July.
After a considerable delay and numerous levels of approvals which should be streamlined, this is a major milestone in securing the new QEH for patients and staff. I know people have lots of questions about the size and other issues and many answers are available at https://newqeh.org.uk
The approval came shortly after QEH announced the acquisition of land to the north of the site. The site will be used for the contractor compound to support construction of the new hospital. It will allow the building work to be done as safely as possible and help minimise disruption to the ongoing delivery of services at the hospital.
Following the very disappointing national ranking, it is only fair to recognise QEH has been ranked among the top 10 trusts in England for the speed and effectiveness of clinical research. When I met with the team I was impressed with the programme to move from observational research to delivering clinical trials testing new medicines, treatments or approaches to care including hip fracture research, cardiology trials, dermatology research and renal studies.
For patients being treated locally, this means earlier access to innovative treatments, closer monitoring, and care informed by the latest clinical evidence.
So there have been improvements and it is important to recognise the efforts of staff in achieving these. I will keep raise waiting times and other issues with the management on behalf of patients, as well as cases where care has not met the standard people rightly expect. Sustained improvements in performance are the goal and I will continue to back additional support to improve the rankings while holding the management to account.
