Source · HSSIB Patient Safety Investigation
Outpatient appointments intended but not booked after inpatient stays
Published 29 April 2021
Launched 15 October 2019
Published
HSIB Legacy
Access to care
Follow-up care
We identified a safety risk involving outpatient follow-up appointments which are intended but not booked after an inpatient stay. If a patient does not receive their intended follow-up appointment, it could lead to patient harm owing to delayed or absent clinical care and treatment.
Summary
2 recommendations
2 of 2 responded
Safety Recommendations
R/2021/122
NHS England
HSIB recommends that NHS England and NHS Improvement develops standards and an operating framework that describes the assurance required for all outpatient appointment booking processes, including after an inpatient stay. The assurance should include feedback mechanisms which provide safeguards that intended outpatient appointments are booked. Ideally, solutions will use technology and automation to create resilience and efficiency so that there is less reliance on staff vigilance.
NHS England is working with NHSX on tech and digital developments, including automation, to support its outpatient improvement programme. They will help organisations validate patient lists and improve system resilience.
Response received 9 August 2021
We are working to minimise the risks highlighted in the report by freeing up capacity to oversee patient appointments, while supporting organisations to prioritise patient lists. We are working with NHSX so that tech and digital developments, including automation of processes, align and support our outpatient improvement programme in maximising quality of patient care. We will continue to work with organisations to help them validate and prioritise patient lists to ensure timely patient care. This will include outpatient care as part of a system-wide priority to recover NHS services following the impact of the pandemic. Through the work of our Outpatient Transformation Programme, reduction in the volume of necessary appointments will create capacity to help ensure that delayed and missed appointments are not ‘lost in the system’. Our Improvement team will work closely with NHSX to ensure tech and digital developments, including the automation of patient administration and booking systems, support the improvement of care pathways and transitions (of both patients and information) between care settings and improve the resilience of current systems. Timeline: 2021/22. Response received on 9 August 2021.
R/2021/123
NHSX
HSIB recommends that NHSX’s What Good Looks Like programme includes a requirement for organisations to be responsive to HSIB reports and recommendations within the ‘Safe Practice’ section of its guidance.
NHSX has actioned this recommendation; the requirement for organisations to be responsive to HSIB reports will be published in the 'What Good Looks Like' guidance, with a timeline indicating completion.
Response received 23 July 2021
NHSX have actioned this recommendation and it will be published in the What Good Looks Like guidance. Timeline: Complete. Response received on 23 July 2021.