Travel for Treatment

Important information for patients currently on hospital waiting lists.

The NHS has been working hard to address the backlogs built up during the COVID pandemic. As part of these plans, the NHS will be proactively contacting patients who have been waiting a long time for NHS funded treatment to remind them of their right to request to move to an alternative hospital where they may be seen quicker.

From Tuesday 31st October 2023 a new digital portal called the Patient Initiated Digital Mutual Aid System will be introduced. Patients who have been waiting 40 weeks or more can use this portal to request an alternative choice of hospital. Any patient who is eligible will receive either a SMS text message or a letter from their current hospital explaining how to request to choose a different hospital.

Please do not contact the practice regarding this process as we have no information regarding individual patients. The hospital will contact you if you are eligible, so please do not contact them either.

Further information about alternative choice is available on hospital websites.