Delivering the 18 Weeks Referral to Treatment Standard Output Report

Context18 Weeks Referral to Treatment StandardThe Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing has pledged “a whole journeywaiting time of 18 Weeks from…referral to treatment by December 2011.”This applies equally to all specialties provided in secondary care, and thereforeincludes Dental Specialties.18 Weeks will therefore be the maximum wait from receipt of referral into secondarycare, to the start of the first definitive treatment, for all non-emergency conditions.The 18 Weeks National Delivery StructureIn order to ensure a cohesive approach between the Scottish Government andHealth Boards in the delivery of this target, while ensuring high quality patientfocussed care is maintained, a national delivery approach was established. The 18Weeks’ Programme Board oversees the work of four Delivery Teams – focussing onInformation, Emergency Access, Operational Issues, and Diagnostics. The detailedinvolvement of key stakeholders and ‘change-champions’ in this process brings aninformed mix of knowledge, expertise and experience to each specialist area.Task and Finish GroupsAs a consequence of analyses undertaken through the Operational Delivery Team, anumber of Task and Finish Groups were set up to concentrate on those specialtiesregarded as most at risk to delivering the 18 Weeks Referral to Treatment Target.Each of these short life working groups consists of a small number of expert advisors- clinicians, service managers and additional professionals involved in that specialty;the groups are also supported by members from the Scottish Government’s HealthDelivery Directorate. The first five ‘at risk’ specialties to see the establishment of aTask and Finish Group were: Audiology, Dental Specialties, Neurological Services,Orthopaedics and Plastic Surgery. More recently Task and Finish Groups have alsobeen established for Dermatology, Diagnostics and Capacity / DemandManagement. Although each of the Task and Finish Groups focus on particularissues relating to that specialty area, all groups work from a series of common workstrands, namely:• Measurement and Definitions• Demand/Capacity/Activity/Queue Analysis• Demand Side Solutions• Performance Management• Service Redesign and Transformation• Culture/Change• Workforce• CommunicationDental Specialties Task & Finish Group – January 2011 7