Delivering an 18-week patient pathway from GP referral to the start of treatment is a key objective for the NHS. The 18-week target is different from previous waiting time targets as it addresses the whole patient pathway from referral to the start of treatment. Most patients should be seen and treated within 18 weeks although the target allows for some complex pathways to take longer should that be in the clinical interests of the patient. For patients whose treatment can be provided in an out-patient setting the target is for 95% of pathways to complete in 18 weeks and for those patients requiring an admission to hospital the target is 90%.
The target applies to new pathways and some planned and follow up care is excluded. If you require more information regarding 18 weeks please see the national 18 week website or contact Tony Ewart, head of performance, on 020 7317 7653 or via email tony.ewart1@nhs.net