3 Feb 2023
Fast Treatment can Have a Big Impact on Recovery
It’s no secret that the NHS is under enormous strain following the pandemic, winter flu hospitalisations, and a recent slew of resignations and strikes. Waiting times for referrals, tests, and surgeries have been further extended in recent years leading to delayed diagnoses, treatments, and access to essential healthcare services. This can be particularly distressing for an individual following an accident or injury.
Waiting times are at an all-time high
The Guardian recently reported that “some diagnostic services in the NHS are “close to failure”, with more than 184,000 patients in England waiting three months or longer for key tests,” which puts the NHS in breach of their own constitution stating that patients should wait no more than six weeks for these types of tests.
The same article goes on to report that “At the end of October 2022, 426,003 patients had been waiting six weeks or more in England for 15 key diagnostic tests and procedures, which was 27.5% of the total patients waiting. The number of patients waiting 13 weeks or longer was 184,187.”
What extended wait times mean for patients
A delay in diagnostic testing can have a significant impact on recovery, particularly if the results of the test are needed to determine the most effective course of treatment. The longer a person waits for a diagnosis, the more time they may spend in pain or discomfort, and the worse their condition may get.
Waiting for tests and results can also cause stress and anxiety, which can negatively affect both physical and mental health. Feeling frightened and traumatized following an accident can be made worse by unpredictable waiting times to see a specialist and begin the road to recovery.
In some cases, the delay in receiving test results can also lead to misdiagnosis or delayed treatment, which can have long-term consequences for a person's health. Many injuries that occur as a result of an accident require prompt medical attention and can be made worse by delayed treatment, putting those who are added to a lengthy waiting list at increased risk of further complications.
How Speed Medical can help
Understanding the root cause of a problem isn’t always obvious, in these instances diagnostic investigations may be required to better understand exactly what is going on. Sadly, testing and further investigations for many people are currently taking weeks, sometimes months on the NHS which is time that can be crucial to a good chance at recovery.
At Speed Medical, we can arrange any tests, treatments or surgical procedure recommendations and where required, provide a full breakdown of costs. We’ve built longstanding relationships with over 2000 experts and leading hospitals, clinics, and diagnostic venues meaning our customers have access to quick and efficient investigations and can get answers regarding their condition fast. We provide a number of services on a fixed fee basis including MRI scans, ultrasounds, CT scans, nerve conduction studies and EMG scans.
Organising diagnostic investigations and surgical procedures can feel overwhelming, but Speed Medical remove all administrative requirements by managing each stage of the journey.
How we can support clinical negligence and PI cases
Through our dedicated teams and nationwide panel of medical experts, we provide medical evidence and associated services for all case types including MedCo, clinical negligence, employers’ liability and public liability.
From instruction to conclusion, we handle all elements of your case allowing you time to work on other areas.
In addition to collation of medical evidence we are also able to organise a vast range of rehabilitative treatments, diagnostic investigations, and surgical procedures to help in the recovery of your clients.
This seamless service means there is no need to look elsewhere, and the entire case will be dealt with by us.
If you’d like to talk to us further about any of our services, get in touch with our friendly and knowledgeable team who will be happy to help.
