The NHS partnership agreement, unveiled on 6 January 2025 as part of the elective recovery plan, represents an important step in addressing the longstanding challenges in elective care.
Advertorial by
Published by NHS England, the initiative provides a framework for NHS trusts to collaborate with the independent sector, ensuring both public and private resources are put to work to meet the 18-week referral to treatment target for 92 per cent of patients by 2029.
This agreement serves as an acknowledgement that achieving the RTT standard requires partnership between the NHS and the independent sector. For these partnerships to work they must bring efficiency, innovation, and seamless integration to improve patient outcomes.
The elective recovery plan also calls for bold measures to maximise capacity and address backlogs. One of these measures is the implementation of three-shift working patterns across community diagnostic centres and surgical hubs, enabling facilities to operate 12 hours a day, seven days a week. This approach ensures that diagnostics and surgeries, including high-demand procedures, are accessible when patients need them most.
Additionally, the plan introduces 10 straight-to-test pathways to streamline care delivery, allowing patients to bypass unnecessary preliminary consultations and access diagnostics and treatment more quickly. 18 Week Support is the leading partner to the NHS in delivering increased capacity and a provider of all major clinical insourcing frameworks. Our one-stop models demonstrate our innovative approach to delivering efficient models of care.
Partnering for progress: 18 Week Support
An example of 18 Week Support’s innovative approach is our work with a trust in south east England, where we have been streamlining gynaecology pathways using our one-stop model. This partnership has come at a crucial time, as there are currently more than 260,000 women waiting for routine gynaecology treatment in England.
Our one-stop model has reduced the time to complete the pathway from six weeks to one day, reducing three appointments into one and thereby improving patient experience. Similar success has been demonstrated for all our partnered trusts using one-stop models, assisting with specialties including ear, nose and throat, cardiology, vascular, dermatology, and breast surgery. The one-stop pathway enhances discharge rates and can provide same-day results in many cases, allowing this pathway to “stop-the-clock” for those facing the longest waits for treatment.
The introduction of straight-to-test pathways in the elective recovery plan aligns with 18 Week Support’s proven expertise in deploying efficient care models. 18 Week Support is positioned to support efforts to reduce waiting times while maintaining exceptional clinical standards by partnering with the NHS to deliver the straight-to-test pathways and the three-shift working approach in CDCs and surgical hubs.
18 Week Support has grown into a leading partner for NHS trusts across the UK, providing specialist services across 15 specialties, including orthopaedics, ophthalmology, and endoscopy. The organisation’s model focuses on maximising existing NHS resources by delivering care within NHS facilities, often during evenings and weekends, thus reducing waiting times and eliminating backlogs. This approach has proven highly effective, particularly in specialties where demand has historically outstripped capacity.
Why 18 Week Support is the partner of choice
Founded in 2014 by Conal Perrett – an eminent dermatologist – 18 Week Support has delivered insourcing services with exceptional results across the UK for 10 years. Our clinically led model brings specialised teams into NHS facilities during weekends and out-of-hours periods, ensuring vital treatments continue while trusts maintain control over their operations. This approach not only provides additional capacity to stretched departments but also ensures patients receive care in a familiar environment.
With a proven track record, robust governance structures, and a commitment to clinical excellence, 18 Week Support has set the benchmark for effective insourcing partnerships. By operating within NHS facilities, the organisation ensures care is delivered in familiar NHS environments, maintaining continuity for patients while alleviating pressure on NHS resources.
18 Week Support welcomes the NHS partnership agreement as a forward-thinking framework for elective recovery. By building on established relationships and offering tailored solutions, 18 Week Support is ready to partner with NHS trusts nationwide to achieve the ambitious RTT targets and deliver on the elective recovery plan.
To learn more about how 18 Week Support can help your trust meet its elective recovery goals and implement straight-to-test pathways, contact us today at busdev@18weeksupport.com
