Patient Initiated Requests to Move Provider (PIDMAS)
In England, NHS patients have the right to request to move to a different hospital to receive their care/treatment if they have been waiting longer than 18 weeks. As the NHS continues to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic we are initially contacting all patients who have been waiting over 40 weeks and inviting them to be considered to move hospital to receive earlier care/treatment.
If you are eligible, you will receive a SMS and/or letter with the option to opt in.
Many patients may be deemed clinically appropriate to move provider. However, not in all circumstances will we be able to identify alternative capacity to facilitate a move.
Patient choice – Choosing another hospital
From Tuesday 31 October 2023, we will be sending the following SMS text message or letters to patients aged over 18 who have been waiting 40 weeks or longer and don’t currently have a booked appointment or date for surgery:
“Harrogate and District NHS Trust – We are sorry that you have been waiting over 40 weeks for your appointment/treatment. You may wish to consider moving to another hospital who may be able to provide your treatment sooner. If you wish to be considered to move to another hospital for your care please submit your details via www.pidmas.nhs.uk. If you need support to complete this please contact the NHS National Helpline on 0345 4506166.”
If you’d like to move your care to another hospital, you can register your interest on the NHS website www.pidmas.nhs.uk.
This is entirely your choice and you will not be pressured to receive care elsewhere.
If you wish to remain on the waiting list to be seen at our hospital, you do not need to do anything. You will remain on our waiting list and we will contact you as soon as possible.
I want to move to another hospital. What do I need to do?
Please begin by registering your details on the secure NHS website www.pidmas.nhs.uk.
If you need help registering, please call the national helpline number: 0345 4506166.
Your hospital records will then be checked to ensure there is nothing to prevent you from moving to a different hospital.
What happens next?
We will then begin to look for other hospitals with available appointments.
If another hospital with availability is found, your care will be moved to that team until the end of your treatment. This means you will need to travel to that hospital for all your future appointments, not just the first assessment/operation. When you register, we will ask how far you would be willing to travel so we can search for a hospital that fits your needs.
In the meantime, you will remain on our waiting list and we will contact you with a date if one becomes available with our Trust sooner.
What if an alternative hospital cannot be found?
It may not be possible to find an alternative hospital, as there is pressure across the NHS. If we are unable to find an alternative hospital after four weeks, you will remain with our Trust for your future care.