Community-based, consultant-led one-stop-shop for carpal tunnel syndrome patients Central London Community Service

The traditional care pathway for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) involves multiple appointments with several professionals over an extended period. It is costly and time consuming for patients and health providers.

A project team from the Central London Community Service is looking at how care can be delivered more effectively. They are implementing a community-based, multidisciplinary one-stop-shop model at Edgware Community Hospital for CTS patients.

A number of patients diagnosed with CTS who are referred by their GP in Barnet will be referred into the pilot.

Benefits

A more streamlined model of care would reduce costs, and be quicker and easier for the patient. Patients who are treated in the one-stop-shop will be reviewed against 40 patients treated in the conventional multi-visit secondary care pathway, looking at cost effectiveness, waiting times, patient satisfaction and patient experience.

The team hope to demonstrate improvements in the patient journey and a marked reduction in the length of the treatment pathway. As the clinic is run on a Saturday and is in a community setting, it is more accessible and convenient, and patients will only require one appointment.

The team will also look to demonstrate the financial benefits for the provider of the single-visit model. As the day hospital is not in use on a Saturday, it better utilises expensive facilities. Using a dual theatre approach also means that a patient is only in theatre for 15 minutes, rather than 30-60 minutes. The team also expects to see diagnostic costs reduced.