My Planned Care is a new portal which allows patients the chance to see how long they are likely to be waiting for their procedure at any NHS hospital. These timescales are only an indication as there are many factors which could affect this and which are out of our control.
The platform can be accessed at myplannedcare.nhs.uk or using the following links to the hospitals that we refer to on a more routine basis:
Currently the site can give wait-time information to patients who are on an NHS wait list, as well as their relatives/carers and supporting healthcare teams, such as their primary care team. The site gives an average idea of wait times per speciality for all acute Trusts across the country. This does not include cancer, as this is separate to the general elective pathways. The information included is taken from the Waiting List Minimum Data Set and will be updated weekly.
Some patients may be seen quicker if their condition is urgent, for routine patients please note the waiting time is likely to be considerably longer.
The platform is being developed in the future to include supporting information to help patients manage their health and wellbeing whilst they wait for their elective care. It will also include details about how to access financial help and local support, such as through local patient support groups and social prescribing services.
Please be aware that the letter from the National E-Referral System may say you will hear from the hospital within 14 days, unfortunately due to the delays from COVID not all hospitals are able to respond within this time and therefore there may be some extended delays. Referrals are reviewed by consultants within the hospital and patients are prioritised according to their clinical condition.
In these circumstances your GP practice is unable to help with getting your referral dealt with any quicker, however we may be able to support with symptom management if your symptoms have worsened.
In Lincolnshire, we will work hard to tackle the backlog of patients whose care has been impacted by the pandemic. We need to do this whilst also keeping our patients safe.
Unfortunately, at the moment we can’t be certain. The pandemic has had a big impact on the NHS and we are trying to resume services and keep patients safe at the same time as we continue to treat Covid-19 cases.
By using the My Planned Care portal you can see how long you are likely to be waiting for your procedure at any NHS hospital. These timescales are only an indication as there are many factors which could affect this and which are out of our control.
The platform can be accessed via the My Planned Care Patient Digital Platform at myplannedcare.nhs.uk
Some patients may be seen quicker if their condition is urgent, for routine patients please note the waiting time may be considerably longer.
We recommend ten simple stress busters:
• Be active – exercise helps you deal with your problems more calmly
• Take control – it’s crucial to finding a solution that satisfies you and not someone else
• Connect with people – a problem shared is a problem halved
• Have some me time – set aside a couple of nights a week to leave work at a reasonable hour and do something you enjoy (the UK works the longest hours in Europe)
• Challenge yourself – do something new, such as learning a language or a new sport
• Avoid unhealthy habits – don’t rely on alcohol, smoking and caffeine as ways of coping
• Do volunteer work – helping people who are worse off than you will put your problems in perspective
• Work smarter, not harder – concentrate on the tasks that will make a real difference to your work
• Be positive – be glass half full instead of glass half empty
• Accept the things you can’t change – and concentrate on everything you have control over
Spotting the early signs of stress will help you figure out ways of coping and stop you adopting unhealthy coping methods, such as drinking or smoking. There are many things you can do to manage stress more effectively, such as learning how to relax, taking regular exercise and adopting good time-management techniques.
The Lincolnshire Community Pain Management Service (CPMS) has been designed to support patients living with persistent pain. Our Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) is made up of a variety of pain clinicians such as Nurses, Physiotherapists, Consultants, Psychologists, Occupational Therapists and specialist GP’s to help patients live a full and meaningful life despite their pain. Patients are referred into the service through a health professional e.g. GP / Consultant / Community Service etc – currently there is no self-referral route.
Your first appointment will be made by the by the service contacting you, the patient and all subsequent appointments are by the patient contacting the service.
To contact the patient co-ordination centre please call 01522 581777. The Connect Health website contains a wealth of information for patients.
We have provided some additional resources to help understand and deal with pain management. Please take a look at these sections for informative and educational videos, PDF’s and links to credible websites. Click here to find out more.
In addition there are Public Health web resource available for patients which help education on managing pain.Visit flippinpain.co.uk
We all need good mental health and wellbeing – it’s essential to living happy healthy lives. Self-care and general lifestyle changes can help us relax more, achieve more and enjoy our lives more. They may also help to prevent problems from developing or getting worse and can help us deal with difficult times in the future.
It’s important to remember there isn’t always an instant solution, recovering from mental health problems and maintaining good mental wellbeing takes time and focus.
The HAY Lincolnshire website lists activities and support that help boost wellbeing and mental health, Please visit How Are You Lincolnshire | H.A.Y. Home (haylincolnshire.co.uk)
Find out more about Self-care and accessing support :: Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Trust (lpft.nhs.uk)
Lincolnshire County Council in partnership with NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board, have commissioned the healthy lifestyle provider, Thrive Tribe, to deliver the preventative health service. One You Lincolnshire is the most recent addition to the health provider’s portfolio of services, which includes England’s leading Stop Smoking services.
Residents in Lincolnshire have free access to health coaches that support being smokefree, drinking less, eating well and moving more.Visit oneyoulincolnshire.org.uk
Being physically active will aid the management and treatment of most health conditions. Whilst you wait, why not check out the Let’s Move Lincolnshire platform? It allows residents to easily search for and find suitable physical activity sessions in their local area. The website also features a range of content to inspire people to move more and support them to be active. It includes specific content for people with a health condition or a disability to find ways to move more that work for them so “find it, do it” today! Visit letsmovelincolnshire.com