Patient waiting list: FAQs - Patient Initiated Digital Mutual Aid System (PIDMAS)

Eligible patients will be contacted by the hospital from Tuesday 31 Octobe, 2023 via text message or a letter in the post, with a weblink and telephone number to submit a request to explore their options

Unfortunately, only patients registered with a GP in England and reported to NHS England via RTT waiting lists are included.

No – some patients may respond immediately others may take longer to decide that they wish to opt in. There are no restrictions. Please be aware though that as time moves on your circumstances may change on our waiting list which may take you out of the eligible cohort for PIDMAS.

A telephone assistance line will be available from 31st October to support those patients with submitting a request who are not digitally enabled. This number is in your information letter along with the PIDMAS website address.

Once a patient has submitted their details, including how far they are willing to travel to receive treatment, this will be reviewed by the hospital team and their consultant. If a patient is deemed clinically and socially appropriate to move, the process will then begin. If a patient opts to request to transfer their care, every effort will be made to identify an appropriate alternative care provider, that has more capacity and a shorter waiting time. The patient will not be required to search for any alternative care providers – this will be actioned on their behalf (with consent).

If there is no capacity available locally at another care provider (within 50 or 100 miles) and a patient is willing to travel nationally, the details will be uploaded to DMAS and other care providers will be able to offer to treat the patient if appropriate. DMAS- is a similar system to PIDMAS but allows providers further afield to offer support should they have capacity.

As part of the scheme, patients could be treated at either an NHS hospital or an independent (private) hospital.

If an alternative provider is identified, the patient will be contacted and asked if they would like to proceed and next steps will be discussed. If the patient agrees to proceed with moving to an alternative care provider, they will be discharged from our care, the hospital team will coordinate the transfer to the new provider. Patient will then be contacted by new provider to arrange treatment dates.

If a patient opts to receive care/treatment by another care provider, they will remain under the care of Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (GHFT) until an alternative has been identified. If they then receive an appointment/treatment offer at GHFT before another care provider is identified, the PIDMAS request will be cancelled and patient will continue with care at GHFT as planned as this will be deemed as the quickest pathway for patient. Once an alternative provider has been secured, a patients care pathway at GHFT will stop.

There may be circumstances in which it is not clinically appropriate to move a patient to a different care provider or if alternative capacity is not available. In this instance GHFT will continue to look to book the patient for appointment/treatment as soon as possible following current process.

If an alternative care provider isn’t found, the patient will remain in their current position on the waiting list at GHFT and they will receive an appointment as soon as one becomes available.

Patients are invited to submit their details into the PIDMAS system and select the hospital they are currently under the care of (GHFT). They will be asked for consent to share their details with alternative care providers, such as other hospitals and the Integrated Care Board. Once the patient has consented, their details will be used to review whether it is appropriate for them to move to an alternative care provider.

Patients will be told if an alternative care provider has been found or not within five to six weeks of starting the process. If a patient is not clinically appropriate to move to an alternative care provider, it is expected they will be told within two to three weeks. During this time, patients will still be managed via the GHFT wait list and dates may be offered at GHFT.

No, patients will be under the care of the chosen provider throughout their pathway of care until they are discharged. This includes any subsequent appointments.

The first phase of this approach is focusing on patients who have been waiting over 40 weeks for treatment. The offer will be widened in a phased approach over the coming months.

It is important for patients to wait to be contacted via text message or letter and to not contact the hospital directly. Once contacted there will be appropriate support numbers included in the letter should patients require further information.

There is the existing NHS Travel Reimbursement Scheme (https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/help-with-health-costs/healthcare-travel-costs-scheme-htcs/) which can be utilised. We have also asked NHS Gloucestershire to ensure that the longest waiting patients who are prepared to travel beyond their local hospitals to receive earlier treatment are not disadvantaged based on their personal circumstances. Each individual will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis through the travel reimbursement scheme.