"In response to the feedback from the West Cornwall Development Group*, where we have a number of public representatives, we will be doing more to ensure patients are aware of their ability to change their appointments and to be seen at a more convenient location if their clinic is offered there."
(*Actually West Cornwall HealthWatch!)
Here is the original letter
Royal Cornwall Hospital
Truro
Cornwall TR1 3LJ
royalcornwallhospitals.nhs.uk
Dear Mr Ridington
Thank you for your email following the recent meeting of Penzance Council and the motion to support the West Cornwall HealthWatch campaign in relation to outpatient appointments for people in the West of Cornwall. The Royal Cornwall Hospitals provide more than 430,000 outpatient appointments each year, across 33 locations.
West Cornwall Hospital in Penzance, where I am sure you are aware we have recently opened a new £9.1m purpose-designed department, is our second largest location, providing over 36,000 outpatient appointments. The department provides outpatient clinics across 38 different specialties and is equipped with technology to link patients remotely with clinicians in other parts of Cornwall and beyond. Outpatient appointments are offered with priority on clinical urgency and then on the soonest available appointment.
This may not always be the closest location and applies equally, regardless of where in the county a patient resides; our aim being to ensure patients are seen as soon as possible, working toward the maximum 18-week referral to treatment national standard. Appointment letters and texts offer patients the opportunity to change dates, times and locations where they are not convenient. If a patient would prefer to wait longer to be seen closer to home, this can be arranged, provided the type of clinic they need runs at that location. This does have a negative impact on our waiting time performance, but we would not deliberately obstruct patients from making this choice.
Our data shows patients attending West Cornwall Hospital outpatient clinics have the lowest average journey times (based on their home postcode) suggesting these clinics are largely being filled by patients from the local area. Due to patient referral numbers, need for specialist diagnostic equipment, and/or clinic space, we are unable to provide clinics for every specialty from West Cornwall Hospital. 5 Item 10(a) - Appendix 1 Indeed, for some of the most highly specialist services all patients from Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly must travel out of county.
We are however, actively looking at how we can continue to expand the range of clinics on offer, whilst balancing this with the impact this could have on patients in other parts of the county, who may have to travel further as a result. In response to the feedback from the West Cornwall Development Group, where we have a number of public representatives, we will be doing more to ensure patients are aware of their ability to change their appointments and to be seen at a more convenient location if their clinic is offered there.
The geography of Cornwall and access to public transport is certainly a challenge, and our population in the north and east of the county face some issues which are similar to some of those experienced by patients in the west of Cornwall.
We believe there is great opportunity as we see the advent of integrated neighbourhood teams as part of the NHS 10 Year Plan to further improve access and provide more care close to home for everyone.
Yours sincerely
Robin Jones
Chief Operating Officer