Thousands of patients across north east London could get NHS treatment sooner this year as our hospitals collaborate to schedule extra elective operations.

About 7,000 people facing long waits for planned procedures will be offered the choice of appointments with a shorter waiting time.

The plan maximises collective clinical capacity in specialities like oral surgery, ear nose and throat procedures, urology, ophthalmology and neurology.

It means that patients needing planned treatment could be offered a slot at any one of eight acute hospitals based on clinical priority and waiting times.

The arrangement between our Trust and the Barts Health group and Homerton Healthcare, will help each trust meet the national ambition to have no-one waiting more than 65 weeks for planned care by the end of September.

About 220,000 people in north east London are on a waiting list - mainly for initial outpatient appointments – of which half are at Barts Health and a third at BHRUT.

The capacity plan is one example of how the NHS organisations in north east London are increasingly supporting each other to become more resilient in providing both elective and emergency care.

It follows success in gaining a £33m national investment for new operating theatres at King George Hospital, and new community diagnostic centres at Barking Community Hospital, St George’s Health and Wellbeing Hub in Hornchurch, and Mile End hospital.

Teams are also exploring a joint approach to common corporate service challenges like reducing temporary staffing, procuring goods and services, and developing digital solutions. 

This month the Boards of the three acute trusts are expected to approve formal proposals to strengthen their partnership with the North East London (NEL) Integrated Care Board (ICB) in an acute provider collaborative.

The aim is to improve access to care, reduce unwarranted variations in quality, and seek efficiencies through economies of scale.

The new arrangement enhances the closer collaboration on which our Trust and Barts Health embarked two years ago. Although the two trusts paused moves towards a single board structure, they will continue to pursue closer strategic alignment in quality and governance.