Patient Choice Schemes
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 30 March 2026 to WPQ 122758, whether there will be any limitations on what qualifications staff will be required to have in order to triage in the Elective Single Point of Access Model.
Answered by Karin Smyth
NHS England has published technical guidance to secondary care providers and integrated care boards (ICBs) regarding the Elective Single Point of Access Model (SPoA). This sets out governance, quality assurance, and clinical oversight requirements for SPoA. Existing local processes and structures for quality assurance, performance management, and clinical governance remain in place, for instance through National Health Service trusts and ICBs, including specialty-level clinical leadership and senior oversight to ensure this change is implemented safely and appropriately, and that patients who require specialist assessment are referred without delay.
Specialist clinical assessment is undertaken within robust clinical governance arrangements, with senior clinical oversight at specialty level to ensure that referrals are managed safely and appropriately, and that patients who require a hospital appointment are referred without delay.
Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →