Expanded delay code guidance Value Meaning General principles Valid example Not valid example 1 Patient reason Must be able to demonstrate A patient who is on holiday A patient who is unavailable to the patient generated the and is unavailable for a period attend on an appointment or (chosen to delay) delay by choosing to wait greater than 1 calendar week. treatment date offered (so long longer. A patient who is not available to as they are able to accept an Patients should be supported attend any offered appointments alternative date that does not to understand their care and the impact of the delay is delay their care by more than 1 pathway and treatment greater than 1 calendar week calendar week). options and to make informed (from the earliest date offered). A patient who wants to take a decisions. A patient who changes their few days to consider their Patients should be offered mind about their treatment options and discuss with reasonable choice and given (*note, this should generate a family/whanau (so long as this sufficient notice of their review of the information and does not delay their care by appointments and treatments. support provided to the patient to more than 1 calendar week). If patients are unable to make a decision on their care Patient’s agreed treatment attend at very short notice or and treatment). option is not offered at their are given little choice this A patient who does not attend DHB-of-domicile (so long as the should not be considered a (DNA) their appointment or treatment is part of a standard patient reason/choice delay. treatment (*note, DNAs should treatment pathway. Improving be reviewed to understand any coordination and provision of contributing factors and how care across DHBs should be a patients can be supported to key focus of FCT). attend). Patient seeks a second opinion. Patient chooses to delay due to the specialist being unavailable (eg, on leave) and has declined to be treated by another specialist who is available. 2 Clinical Where a co-morbidity or Where diagnosis is complex or Where a clinical assessment complication needs to be requires investigations additional was not completed within agreed consideration addressed before the patient to the standard pathway of care. timeframes. (co-morbidities) can receive their cancer There are cancer-related Where the patient underwent treatment. complications, eg formation of a tests or treatment at a DHB other
Expanded delay code guidance Value Meaning General principles Valid example Not valid example 1 Patient reason (chosen to delay) Must be able to demonstrate the patient generated the delay by choosing to wait longer. Patients should be supported to understand their care pathway and treatment options and to make informed decisions. Patients should be offered reasonable choice and given sufficient notice of their appointments and treatments. If patients are unable to attend at very short notice or are given little choice this should not be considered a patient reason/choice delay. A patient who is on holiday and is unavailable for a period greater than 1 calendar week. A patient who is not available to attend any offered appointments and the impact of the delay is greater than 1 calendar week (from the earliest date offered). A patient who changes their mind about their treatment (*note, this should generate a review of the information and support provided to the patient to make a decision on their care and treatment). A patient who does not attend (DNA) their appointment or treatment (*note, DNAs should be reviewed to understand any contributing factors and how patients can be supported to attend). Patient seeks a second opinion. Patient chooses to delay due to the specialist being unavailable (eg, on leave) and has declined to be treated by another specialist who is available. A patient who is unavailable to attend on an appointment or treatment date offered (so long as they are able to accept an alternative date that does not delay their care by more than 1 calendar week). A patient who wants to take a few days to consider their options and discuss with family/whanau (so long as this does not delay their care by more than 1 calendar week). Patient’s agreed treatment option is not offered at their DHB-of-domicile (so long as the treatment is part of a standard treatment pathway. Improving coordination and provision of care across DHBs should be a key focus of FCT). 2 Clinical consideration (co-morbidities) Where a co-morbidity or complication needs to be addressed before the patient can receive their cancer treatment. Where diagnosis is complex or requires investigations additional to the standard pathway of care. There are cancer-related complications, eg formation of a Where a clinical assessment was not completed within agreed timeframes. Where the patient underwent tests or treatment at a DHB other
delay_code_reporting_guidance.docx