Minimum waiting times to be brought in for treatments

Peterborough patients will face minimum waiting times for non-urgent treatment in a bid to tackle a major financial deficit in the local NHS system.

Health bosses are to introduce a minimum waiting time of 12 weeks, but they insist that the 18 week treatment target for urgent conditions will still be met.

The measure is part of a Capped Expenditure Process which was introduced by NHS England in April for 14 areas of the country facing a significant financial deficit.

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group expects a deficit of £15.5 million in 2017/18, but only if it makes financial improvements of £46.4 million in-year.

A report from the CCG says further cost-cutting will see support given to GP practices not to prescribe over the counter medicines and a review of medicines of “limited clinical effectiveness.”

The CCG said the proposed measures will “enable our health economy to achieve the best possible clinical outcomes for the public we serve, whilst ensuring expenditure remains within funding levels available to the NHS in our area.”

Last November, the CCG revealed its Sustainability and Transformation Plan which aims to tackle an expected £500 million deficit over the following four years.

This included merging GP practices. The CCG has also concluded a consultation on removing IVF treatment, other than for patients undergoing cancer treatment and men who have a chronic viral infection. The results of the consultation will be revealed soon.