New Ways

If a patient currently has an ASC due to unavailability and will still be unavailable on 1 January 2008, what should be recorded?
Ensure the patient's details are recorded on the New Ways compliant PAS with original referral / decision dates.  A start date of unavailability should be recorded from the patient's original referral / decision date. If there is a known end date of unavailabilty record this. If no end date is known a review date within 13 weeks should be added.

If a patient has an ASC, and will transfer as 'unvailable' at 1 January 2008 but has no planned review date recorded, when should they be reviewed? 
A review should take place within 13 weeks from the 1 January 2008.

What should happen if a patient with an ASC is available from 1 January 2008?
Ensure the patient's details are recorded on the New Ways compliant PAS with original referral / decision dates. A start date of unavailability should be recorded from the patient's original referral / decision date with an end date of 31 December 2007 also being recorded.

During the migration to the New Ways compliant PAS, what are the guidelines for the re-setting of the clock for patients with an ASC who are now available?
As all patients who previously had an ASC, who are now available to attend or receive treatment, are now to be seen within the appropriate waiting time guarantee from 1 January 2008, you may either:

1. Record a period of unavailability from the original date of referral to end December 2007, or
2. Ignore any ASC and ensure the patient is treated a). within the appropriate waiting time guarantee, or b). before 1 January 2008.

A further option would be to record a period of unavailability from the date the ASC was assigned to end December 2007.

Any patient who had previously had an ASC who is still unavailable should have a period of unavailability applied from 1 January 2008, and be subject to New Ways rules for review.