Hundreds of soldiers, sailors and air crew have received faster NHS treatment following a drive to cut waiting times for military personnel. Twenty NHS trusts serving large military communities joined the first phase of the Further Faster Armed Forces (FF-AF) initiative. It identified serving personnel waiting for treatment and provided investment for targeted support including extra clinics and operating theatre time.
Scheme aims to get personnel ready for action sooner
Health and defence chiefs said the scheme aims to get injured personnel ready for action sooner. Professor Tim Briggs, chair of the NHS’s Getting It Right First Time programme and FF-AF lead, said: “Those who serve our country should not face unnecessary delays in accessing NHS care because of where they are posted or the demands of military life. We need personnel who are fit and ready to be deployed and this programme has demonstrated this is achievable.”
“By bringing in reinforcements and taking the right expertise to where it is needed, we can get patients treated faster. We’ve delivered significant reductions in waiting times in six months, helping patients receive treatment sooner while supporting the operational readiness of our armed forces.”
486 personnel had care accelerated
Some 486 military personnel had their care accelerated during the campaign’s first phase between January and March. Trusts taking part included Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, which serves a large Royal Navy presence at HMNB Portsmouth. Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, near Aldershot Garrison and Sandhurst, and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, serving Catterick Garrison, also joined the scheme.
Participating hospitals were supported to pack more operations into each day and hold more clinics. NHS staff also worked with military medics to get service personnel to their appointments, including help with travel and time off where needed.
Waiting times fall in key specialties
The programme’s first phase focused on ear, nose and throat treatment. Waiting times for military personnel fell from 16.9 weeks to 11.8 weeks over six months. Trauma and orthopaedics was also targeted, with waiting times falling from 13.9 weeks to 9.7 weeks. These types of elective care can include ear and sinus surgery, or operations to repair damaged knees, shoulders and hips.
Kate Davies, NHS England’s director of health and justice for armed forces, said: “Behind these figures are real people who have given a great deal to serve their country and who deserve access to care that recognises the realities of service life.”
“Reducing waiting times means helping serving personnel get the care they need sooner, with fewer unnecessary delays or disruptions to their lives and service. This work shows what can be achieved when the NHS and Defence Medical Services work closely together to understand the barriers faced by serving personnel and find practical ways to overcome them.”
Surgeon Captain Nick Imm, assistant head of the strategic commissioning team for defence healthcare and senior military lead for FF-AF, said the initiative was “supporting the deployability of the UK armed forces by improving access to NHS care, particularly in trusts serving large military communities”. He added: “Frequent postings can interrupt treatment pathways, with personnel sometimes facing reassessment or delays when they move to a new location.”
“The partnership between the Ministry of Defence and the Getting It Right First Time programme has enabled the care of serving personnel to be proactively managed, and it is encouraging to see waits of more than 18 weeks falling so significantly in trauma and orthopaedic and ear, nose and throat services.”
Minister for Veterans and People Calvin Bailey MP said: “Our people are the backbone of our armed forces, and they deserve the very best when it comes to their healthcare.” Health Innovation Minister James Frith said: “The brave men and women who serve our country should never be left stuck waiting for treatment. By getting armed forces personnel seen and treated faster, this programme is helping them recover more quickly and remain ready to serve when the nation needs them.”
