NHS Launches Online Platform to Empower Patients as They Wait for Care

Millions of patients on the waiting list for NHS care will be able to access support and check waiting times thanks to a new online platform.

Built in conjunction with patient groups, My Planned Care is one of the latest measures in a major package of moves by the NHS to tackle the COVID backlog. The platform will allow patients and their carers to access information ahead of their planned appointment, operation or treatment at the touch of a button.

In this first stage, around 5.5 million patients – of the six million on the total waiting list – will be able to search on the site to find the average waiting time at their local hospital for the specialist area they need treatment in.

Data from 137 NHS Trusts across England will be on the site, hosted by nhs.uk.

The platform will be expanded in the coming months to include personalised information and support for patients on the waiting list to help them stay well while they wait, including advice on how best to manage symptoms. In the future the service will also include advice on stopping smoking as well as diet and exercise, to help patients get ready for surgery and make sure they recover as quickly as possible.

Targeted packages of support will be rolled out to those patients waiting for procedures with the longest waits, or those with the greatest need.