Page last updated: 27-FEB-2008

New Ways

Guidance

Application of New Ways Principles to Radiology
Letter issued on 17 December 2007 providing an initial response to requests for guidance on whether and how New Ways principles of defining and measuring waiting in the NHS should be applied to the waiting times of patients waiting for radiology investigations.

Calculation of Wait
The Calculation of Wait paper sets out the calculation of waiting times that will be used in the national warehouse.

Calculation of Wait (V0.4) published on 19 December 2007 should be considered the final version and will be used used in the national warehouse to form the basis of national publications, Business Objects reporting, ISD responses to information requests, etc.

It is important to be aware that this version is expected to be reviewed in six months (end June 2008). If you have any queries with regard to this document, please contact either Stephen Young at stephen.young@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk telephone 0131 275 6911, or Angela Forbes at angela.forbes@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk telephone  0131 275 6275.

Timetable for Data Submission and Reporting
Letter issued on 28 November 2007 setting out national submission and reporting timetables for New Ways data which clarifies and extends guidance issued by ISD on 21 August 2007. 

Statement on 19 September 2007
The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing made a Statement in the Parliament on Wednesday 19 September about the new approach to defining and measuring waiting in the NHS in Scotland, including the abolition of availability status codes (ASCs). A letter to NHS Board Chief Executives (issued on 20 September 2007) draws attention to key points in the Statement, some of which will need action by Boards. She issued a letter to all GPs drawing their attention to the new approach and asking them to ensure that patients received a copy of the information leaflet when a decision to refer them for an outpatient appointment is made. A news release and a Question and Answer briefing was distributed to MSPs and the news media.

New Ways Guidance on the recording of main operation, location code and provider code
As each New Ways record is an episode of wait which is essentially closed when the patient is removed from the waiting list, data items relate to the patient whilst experiencing a wait unlike SMR01 for example, which is a 'discharge record'. The main data items that this approach affects are Main Operation, Location Code and Provider Code. This letter was issued on 20 July by Kate Harley, Head of Programme, ISD Scotland, to provide clarification on this. 

New Ways Data Required and Extraction Specification

In future, should an issue result in a substantive change to the specification it will be managed through a formal change control procedure but as it stands, this specification (Version 1.1a)  is final and is the statement of what is required to deliver New Ways functionality.

Scottish Executive Health Department
Guidance issued on 22 September 2006

 


Main contact: Email Jane Goodall