Head and Neck Outpatient and Diagnostics Support

The activity relates to carrying out initial outpatient consultations for patients who have been waiting for more than a year on the waiting lists of specific surgeons in the hospital. There is insuffiicient capacity in existing NHS core hours to carry out the surgery for these patients and so we are seeking additional capacity from outside of the NHS. The activity in scope of the outsourcing relates to specific surgeons who have practising privileges to operate privately at this particular Independent Sector Provider - Circle Meriden. The advantages of ensuring the continuity of the surgeon is that if the patient requires surgery, this will be carried out by the same surgeon in an NHS setting, avoiding the need for further outpatient review or repeat diagnostic tests which saves both time and money, and is less demanding on the patient. We are seeking similar outsourcing arrangements at other ISPs where the same circumstances apply - the determining factors being continuity of carer for the patient, geographical proximity and transport links, and length of time that patients would be required to wait.