Advice and guidance drives elective improvement in Birmingham
Jonathan Brotherton, Chief Executive of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB), shares how the trust has become one of the country’s leading examples of elective recovery — reducing its waiting list by 14,000 patients (11%) and pushing referral to treatment performance from under 50% to over 60%.
The trust’s own teams and a strong advice and guidance offer have been central to the success, says Brotherton. With 18,000 responses every month — and 6,500 cases handled through advice alone — thousands of patients have been able to avoid unnecessary waits and get the right support sooner.
The results have been felt across the board: patients are getting faster access to care, GPs have a stronger connection with secondary care, and clinicians across both settings are working more closely together. Brotherton is clear that the credit goes to UHB’s staff, whose commitment has driven the improvement.