Department of Health

Website of the Department of Health

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Secondary care  

Nurses sitting in a day room chatting to a patient.

Secondary care is often acute healthcare (elective care or emergency care) provided by medical specialists in a hospital or other secondary care setting. Patients are usually referred from a primary care professional such as a GP.

Under NHS booking systems, patients receive a choice of admission dates within a guaranteed waiting time.

Additional links

Tackling hospital waiting: the 18 week patient pathway

Implementation framework and resource pack explaining the nature of the 18 week pathway challenge.

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