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Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust has been working hard to reduce the time between you being referred by your family doctor to when you start your treatment with us.

Under the NHS constitution, you now have the right to expect to have started your elective treatment within 18 weeks.  We also have a responsibility to ensure that this happens. More information can be found on NHS Choices.

Your waiting time starts:

As soon as we have a referral from your GP, optician, dentist or other clinician or you have booked your first appointment through eRS or our partner organisation Devon Referral Support Services (DRSS).

Your waiting time ends when:

• We have agreed with you that no treatment is necessary.
• After discussion we decide to monitor your condition for possible treatment at a later date.
• You are admitted for an operation.
• Medication is prescribed for your condition or we change your prescription.
• We arrange for you to have a medical device designed to help your condition such as a splint or a leg brace.

To make this as straight forward as possible we would like you to help us:

• Please be available to come in for appointments, investigations or treatment for 18 weeks after your referral.
• If you are not available for a period of time after your outpatient appointment, for example, if you are away on holiday, please let us know. 
• Please try to be informed about plans for your treatment.  If you are not sure please ask questions during your appointment and don’t hesitate to write information down.
• Please make sure you keep your appointments.  If you do not attend an appointment without letting us know we may not be able to treat you within 18 weeks and you may have to go back to your doctor to be referred again.

If you have any concerns about the amount of time you have been waiting then please contact the Patient Advisory and Liaison Service (PALS) on 01752 439884 or 432564.

 If your concerns have not been addressed at this stage then you wish to investigate alternative providers they should contact the NEW Devon CCG Patient Access and Complaints Team (PACT) on 01392 267 665 or 0300 123 1672.