NHS’s flagship £360m system to slash waiting lists delayed

A flagship programme intended to bring down NHS waiting backlogs is to be delayed after becoming mired in bureaucracy.

The £360 million federated data platform is seen as critical to reducing waiting lists, with a record 7.1 million people now waiting for treatment. 

When the plans were announced in the spring, health chiefs said that the system would be an “essential enabler to transformational improvements” across the NHS.

Experts have warned that progress in clearing the lists has been set back by chaotic recording systems. 

While NHS data was found to be littered with errors, such as duplicate entries and dead patients, many patients in need of follow-up care are not recorded once they have had their first slot. 

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Source: The Telegraph, 25 November 2022