Waiting lists are plagued by poor data quality. At national level, some 10-15 per cent of new additions to the waiting list disappear into thin air every month. When you drill down to local level it’s even worse, often with huge proportions of patients appearing or disappearing from the data.

This isn’t just an administrative matter. If trusts cannot accurately track all their patients, then there is a risk that some will become lost in the system, and the NHS will fail to provide the healthcare they need.

So it is important and timely that NHS England have refreshed their guidance about keeping on top of data quality. Many trusts will find the guidance daunting, especially those that still rely on semi-manual processes and spreadsheets for managing their Patient Tracking Lists (PTLs).

Take this requirement, for example: “PTLs should be refreshed on a daily basis… Standard report views should be available to monitor… cancer… incomplete RTT… diagnostic… planned admission… patients awaiting follow up, and those under active monitoring”.

The necessary data is scattered across several IT systems with different structures that do not talk to each other. Diagnostic systems commonly omit key pathway identifiers. And follow-ups are particularly difficult, with many trusts struggling even to count them, let alone track them accurately, which is a clinical risk in its own right.

So what to do? A good first step would be to talk to us. We have for decades specialised in unifying NHS data and accurately compiling and checking all the patient pathways. Then our specialist software helps hospital staff to manage and maintain the data quality on those pathways, with workflows and alerts that are tailored to their roles.

If your trust’s PTL management is still based on spreadsheets, then you are not alone. Drop us a line. We’ll be happy to discuss how you can transition to accurate and automated PTL management, for enhanced Board assurance and patient safety.