The ELFT Guide to Improving Demand, Capacity, Backlogs and Waiting Times

Optimising patient flow to ensure care is delivered in the right location at the right time is essential to delivering safe, high-quality, patient-centred care. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, many clinical teams at East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT) faced growing demand for their services and long waiting lists for people to receive the care they needed.

In response to this, the Optimising Flow programme of work began in early 2021. This saw over 50 teams at ELFT working to optimise flow by using a systematic approach to addressing their backlogs, waiting times and increased demand. Staff and service users have worked together across the whole healthcare system, including from GP referrals, primary care, community, and inpatient care.
Using learning and case studies from across our programme of work, this guide will help you to understand how to take a systematic approach to developing a project charter and testing change ideas that will help you to solve problems of patient backlog, waiting times, increased demand, and flow through the system.