Prescription for outpatients: reimagining planned specialist care (16 April 2025)

Summary

The Patients Association and the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) have published a joint report setting out a bold new vision for reforming outpatient services in the NHS over the next decade.

Content

Outpatient care (planned specialist care delivered without an overnight hospital stay) is one of the most commonly used NHS services, with over 135 million appointments in 2023/24 alone. Yet for many patients, the experience is marked by long waits, fragmented communication, and a lack of coordination between services.

Drawing on extensive engagement with patients, clinicians and NHS England, Prescription for outpatients: reimagining planned specialist care outlines five key ambitions to reshape the outpatient model:

1. provide timely care by the right person, in the right setting,
2. empower patients through personalised care and self-management,
3. improve communication across professionals and with patients,
4. use innovative models of care to avoid unnecessary appointments,
5. harness data and technology to reduce inequalities and prioritise need. 

The report also proposes eight transformational shifts to how care is delivered, supported by five key enablers including digital infrastructure, workforce investment, and improved commissioning models. Collectively, these changes aim to ensure outpatient services are more efficient, equitable and centred around patients' needs.