Recommendation 17

We asked about how patients other than the longest waiters and those with the highest clinical priority would be supported while they waited. NHSE&I stated that GPs had a role in managing these patients and that it was also asking secondary care clinicians to ensure patients were clearly informed about their position on waiting lists. NHSE&I explained that it has been trying to get NHS commissioners and providers to review regularly whether patients’ clinical priority had changed and to have conversations with patients. NHSE&I accepted that these approaches had not been working as well as they should in all parts of the system; it said it wanted to build the capacity for more reviews in future.38 In evidence submitted to us, the British Heart Foundation stated that services should be appropriately resourced to support patients to self-manage and improve their 33 Q32 34 Q76 35 C&AG’s Report, page 4 36 NHS England’s published waiting times statistics for December 2021 37 Q71 38 Q103 14 NHS backlogs and waiting times in England wellbeing while they waited for treatment; this could not just be about patients being left to fend for themselves but meant regular contact, including timely updates on delays, and signposting to relevant services.39 Geographical disparities