Accessibility tools
cuh logo

Waiting times

A message for our patients waiting for an appointment, procedure or test

Non-urgent advice: Received a letter from us?

We are writing to every patient who is waiting for an appointment, procedure or test at our hospitals for longer than we would normally expect.

If you have questions relating to this, follow our guidance below.

Our aim is to be here for you if you do contract Covid-19 and require hospital care, but also to treat you and your family safely for your other health conditions while this pandemic continues.

You can read about the number of steps we are taking to keep you safe in hospital.

Waiting times for appointments, procedures or tests

Our hospitals are currently responding to the transmission of Covid-19 in this area. We continue to provide urgent care for our patients during this time, but are having to make some difficult decisions about delaying non-emergency operations, outpatient appointments and investigations.

It will take time to bring our services back to the levels they were at before the pandemic. This means that some patients will need to wait longer than we would like. We would like to thank you for your patience, and please know that we are doing all we can to restart our services in a safe way.

Deputy medical director, Sue Broster, discussing waiting times at our hospitals
Transcript

Good morning. On behalf of CUH I'm providing an update to all our patients waiting for treatment.

Our hospitals are currently providing care to many patients with Covid-19 and whilst we continue to provide urgent care for everybody who needs it, we're having to make some difficult decisions about delaying non-emergency operations, outpatient appointments and investigations. 

It will take time to bring our services back to the levels that they were at before the pandemic, this means that some patients will need to wait longer for treatment  than we would like. Unfortunately we may not be able to give you a clear idea of when you will be treated at this current time so we realise that it may be very frustrating and disappointing not knowing how long you may have to wait.

As our services start up again, we will carefully consider how patients should be prioritised. Please be assured we are continually assessing the risk of the delay patients are experiencing and care is being prioritised for those who may suffer serious harm if they're not treated soon. 

We know how hard it is to have to wait for diagnosis or treatment, and we understand the distress and anxiety this can cause for you and your loved ones and we are truly sorry for this. 

If you have a comment or question about our approach please contact the patient advice and liaison service. Thank you for all your patience and please know that we're doing all we can to restart our services in a safe way.

British Sign Language version
Transcript

Good morning. On behalf of CUH I'm providing an update to all our patients waiting for treatment.

Our hospitals are currently providing care to many patients with Covid-19 and whilst we continue to provide urgent care for everybody who needs it, we're having to make some difficult decisions about delaying non-emergency operations, outpatient appointments and investigations. 

It will take time to bring our services back to the levels that they were at before the pandemic, this means that some patients will need to wait longer for treatment  than we would like. Unfortunately we may not be able to give you a clear idea of when you will be treated at this current time so we realise that it may be very frustrating and disappointing not knowing how long you may have to wait.

As our services start up again, we will carefully consider how patients should be prioritised. Please be assured we are continually assessing the risk of the delay patients are experiencing and care is being prioritised for those who may suffer serious harm if they're not treated soon. 

We know how hard it is to have to wait for diagnosis or treatment, and we understand the distress and anxiety this can cause for you and your loved ones and we are truly sorry for this. 

If you have a comment or question about our approach please contact the patient advice and liaison service. Thank you for all your patience and please know that we're doing all we can to restart our services in a safe way.

What this delay means for you

Unfortunately we may not be able to give you a clear idea of how long you will wait. We realise that this may be very frustrating and disappointing.

We are carefully prioritising all of our patients. This means we assess the impact of any delay you are experiencing and care is prioritised for patients at the greatest risk.

Please find enclosed further information and advice on what you should do if you are worried about changes in your condition. It explains what to do depending on the type of appointment you are waiting for.

Concerns about your health condition?

If your health changes or you become worried about worsening symptoms, who you contact will depend on the type of appointment you’re waiting for.

First outpatient appointment

If you are waiting for your first outpatient appointment and have not yet been seen by anyone at our hospitals, please contact your GP to let them know if your symptoms have become worse.

Follow up outpatient appointment

If you have already been seen by someone at our hospitals and are waiting for a follow-up appointment, please contact the team at the hospital who are caring for you to let them know if your symptoms have become worse.

Diagnostic appointment

If your GP has referred you for a diagnostic appointment, such as a scan or x-ray, please contact your GP to let them know if your symptoms have become worse. If someone at our hospitals has referred you for a diagnostic appointment, such as a scan or x-ray, please contact the team at the hospital who are caring for you to let them know if your symptoms have become worse.

Surgery or outpatient procedure

If you are waiting for surgery or an outpatient procedure please contact the team at the hospital who are caring for you if your symptoms become worse.

If you feel you no longer need or wish to have treatment

If you feel you no longer need or wish to have treatment please contact the team caring for you at our hospitals and we will discuss this with you and advise on next steps.

Your questions and comments

If you have a comment or question about our approach please contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). The team can be reached between 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday on 01223 216756 or pals@addenbrookes.nhs.uk.

We would also be grateful for feedback on your experience of receiving care at our hospitals – please complete our survey at https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/waitingtimessurvey.

Your health matters a huge amount to us and we look forward to getting you on the road to recovery as quickly as possible.

Psychological well-being service

Waiting for treatment can be extremely challenging psychologically and we all need support at times. If you or a family member needs psychological wellbeing support, patients can self-refer to the Psychological Wellbeing Service run by CPFT

Easy read version
docx 3.3 MB