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patients rapidly assessed
patients discharged
case reviews assessments completed
North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Trust (NCIC) employs over 6,500 staff and provides hospital and health services to over half a million people. The Trust includes ten hospitals, and the community is spread across a broad geographical area, with 51% of residents living in rural settings and over 65’s making up a higher proportion of the population than the national average.
The project began in May 2024, with 1200 patients who had
been waiting the longest being scheduled for routine first
appointments using our digital platform, Virtual Lucy. A
team of HBSUK neurologists with substantive posts in the
NHS conducted clinical case reviews on the 1200 patients to
triage them following a virtual assessment.
Patients who did not desire to use Virtual Lucy were initially
seen by our neurologists in face-to-face insourcing clinics
at Penrith and Furness General.
The partnership between HBSUK and NCIC was developed in
response to the need to reduce the Trust’s longest-waiting
patients on the neurology waiting list (60+ weeks).
To improve patient care and expand Trust capacity, we
offered a hybrid solution that included a digital pathway
(Virtual Lucy*) which patients could access in their own time
and insourcing clinics for those patients who did not want
to use Virtual Lucy for various reasons. This is HBSUK’s first
project offering a blended service.
Following an initial clinical case review, we have been able to produce the following outcomes for the Trust in terms of reducing their neurology waiting lists:
We also completed 300+ case review assessments for neurology patients, allowing consultants to see patients without the need for an audio/video consultation, which was included in the service supplied to NCICs. The blended pathway resulted in swift and efficient assessments for patients by experienced NHS neurologists, reducing demand on current capacity and helping to streamline and shorten treatment pathways. NCIC is considering extending the project in order to enhance patient outcomes
Making Healthcare Better
