How online assessments drove a 35% reduction in urology waiting lists

BACKGROUND

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 65s making up a higher proportion of the population than the national average.

NCIC approached HBSUK for help with assessing and treating of 1200 long waiting urology patients. These patients had been waiting between 32 and 65 weeks for assessment.

The partnership with NCIC has been instrumental in reducing their waiting list size and improving patient experience with the use of Virtual Lucy. Identifying and assessing patients who have been on the waiting list for a long time has not only improved the patient experience, but has also had a significant positive impact on the delivery of care.

Nigel Meehan, HBSUK's Digital Operations Director

AT A GLANCE

Challenges

51% of trusts patients live in rural settings
Higher proportion of over 65s than national average
1279 long waiting urology patients referred to Virtual Lucy
Patient waiting times between 32 and 65 weeks

Benefits

454 (35%) patients with clock stop outcome
354 (28%) patients discharged without the need for further intervention, equating to a reduction of around 11 clinics saving approximately £27,000
13 suspected cancer referrals identified for two-week-wait pathway
Positive PREMS rating of 4.33/5
PAS and ERS integration automated administrative tasks, allowed rapid data exchange and faster access to care for patients with quicker onboarding

THE SOLUTION

Patients were invited to use HBSUK’s online outpatients service, Virtual Lucy as a faster, more convenient route to getting a specialist assessment. HBSUK worked with NCIC’s Applications team to integrate Virtual Lucy with NHS Patient Administration Systems (PAS) and Electronic Health Records (EHR). The integration improved onboarding speed for patients, reduced administration within the trust and provided the timely exchange of data, whilst maintaining compliance with health data standards including HL7.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

The project began in June 2024 and ran for approximately six months. 1279 long waiting urology patients were invited to complete a clinically validated online questionnaire about their condition and general health on Virtual Lucy. A combination of HBUSK and NCIC consultants reviewed each patient and provided a clinical assessment and appropriate care plan without patients needing an outpatient appointment or travelling to hospital.

PROJECT OUTCOMES

Working with HBSUK helped NCIC make a significant reduction in the urology patient waiting lists.

451 patients had a clock stop outcome, a 35% reduction in patients under the trust’s care
354 (28%) patients were discharged without further intervention from the trust. This equates to approximately 11 saved urology clinics and includes patients discharged with reassurance or back into their GP’s care. The approximate cost saving to NCIC is estimated to be approximately £27k of outpatient clinical time
13 patients were identified with possible cancer and referred into two-week-wait pathway
HBSUK achieved a positive PREMS score of 4.33 out of 5
The contract with NCIC has been extended to a further 500 patients in early 2025