NHS chief tells hospitals to send patients to private providers to cut waiting times

NHS patients could be sent to private providers for routine elective treatment under a plan by healthcare bosses to reduce waiting times.

The NHS has been struggling to meet its target to treat 92% of patients who need elective care within 18 weeks. In June 4.3 million people in England were awaiting treatment, the highest number since data collection began in August 2007.1

In a letter sent to local clinical commissioning groups, NHS England’s national director for operations and information, Matthew Swindells, said that there had been a “significant underdelivery …