A NEW policy to support people waiting for treatment that is already running in west Wales will be launched across the nation.

Hywel Dda University Health Board has been running the ‘3Ps Waiting Well Policy’ already, which helps ensure that people waiting for treatment have the support and information they need, helping to prevent last-minute cancellations of NHS treatment.

The 3Ps are: Promoting healthy behaviours; Preventing deconditioning whilst waiting; Preparing for treatment and recovery.

Welsh Government health minister Eluned Morgan believes that this policy will help to prevent some of the 6,000 last-minute cancellations for treatment on the NHS in Wales.

In the scheme, people waiting for treatment have a single point of contact at the health board.

The contact listens to their concerns, provide advice on healthy behaviours to manage symptoms and signpost patients to a variety of resources and services as well as helping people to prepare for treatment to ensure they get the best results, such as exercise classes either in-person or remotely.

Mandy Rayani, director of nursing, quality and patient experience at Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “The Waiting List Support Service provides a valuable service to patients in the Hywel Dda area who are waiting for treatment.

"Our staff are available to support and advise individuals on a broad range of issues – from physical fitness to general wellbeing – and work with them to ensure that they are as fit as possible and ready for their treatment when the time comes.

“The service is aimed at ensuring that patients are fit and ready, supported while they wait, and help us to minimise the number of procedures that need to be cancelled and rescheduled due to patients worsening health conditions.”

Patients on the Waiting List Support Service and the similar Virtual Orthopaedic Prehabilitation Service across the health board are positive about the experience.

One on the waiting list service said: “Staff were well informed and listened to what was being said.

"They showed empathy and understanding of the current situation with regards to waiting lists and additional resources available to support patients on waiting lists.”

One of the patients on the orthopaedic service said: “I’ve done exercise that I would not have done on my own, through fear I might damage something else.

"I thoroughly enjoyed the programme and have benefitted a lot from it. I am managing my pain much better and is actually taking less pain relief and have increased my average steps a day to almost 4,000 from 2,500.

“I think the programme is great, I’ve learnt a lot in the first weeks that will help me as I wait for surgery and also after it. I wasn’t used to technology before, but I am getting more and more confident and enjoying it.”

Ms Morgan said: “The service in Hywel Dda is a best practice model which will be rolled out across all other health boards in the next 12 months. This will see patients benefit and services improve across Wales.”

Between April 2022 and March 2023, there were 6,350 last-minute cancellations of procedures in Wales, with 4,860 because the patient said they were unfit for the procedure, 300 because of a pre-existing medical condition, 1,130 because the hospital said the patient was unfit with an acute illness and 60 because they were unsuitable for a day case procedure.

The services will be rolled out across the rest of Wales by next summer.