Recommendation 2

Notwithstanding the actions taken to date, we recommend that NHS England & Improvement review, as a matter of priority, the directions given to NHS Trusts about how to communicate with patients about the progress of their treatment and important medical guidance in any future spike or second wave. As part of this review, NHSE/I must ensure that patients are always treated with dignity and compassion. We ask that as part of that review, NHSE/I makes an assessment of its and hospitals’ communication with patients—and provide us with an update by the end of October 2020. We also ask, as part of this review, that NHSE/I address how they will communicate to the general population to ensure that the public gets the message that the NHS is open, and that those who have fears of catching COVID-19 in medical settings are not discouraged from accessing medical treatment. (Paragraph 22) Waiting times and managing the backlog of appointments