PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Nick J Levell
TI  - NHS outpatient secondary care: a time of challenges and opportunities
AID  - 10.7861/fhj.2022-0044
DP  - 2022 Jul 01
TA  - Future Healthcare Journal
PG  - 106--112
VI  - 9
IP  - 2
4099  - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/9/2/106.short
4100  - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/9/2/106.full
SO  - Future Healthc J2022 Jul 01; 9
AB  - The English NHS outpatient service was handling over 1.6 million referrals per month before the COVID-19 pandemic, with numbers growing each year. There was a fall during the pandemic but by 2022, referrals were close to pre-pandemic levels. The GIRFT programme clinical leads from over 41 specialties visited each English hospital to identify unwarranted variation in care and identify good practice. A wealth of innovations covering the whole outpatient journey were identified in the national reports, which are published on the GIRFT website. Patient needs and demands vary greatly between infants and the elderly, between mental health, medical and surgical specialties. However, it was remarkable how common themes bridged age and illness to identify again and again how services could be improved. This report summarises the key themes identified by GIRFT to improve outpatient services in England as it moves forwards from the COVID pandemic.