To tackle the pressing issue of escalating waiting time challenges, Sanius Health have used an innovative approach leveraging artificial intelligence to collect and analyse public social media posts related to NHS waiting times, aiming to gain unprecedented insights and a comprehensive understanding of the waiting time challenge from patients’ and carers’ perspectives. By examining social media data, the company is able to identify common pain points, track sentiment changes over time, and uncover coping strategies employed by those on waiting lists. This can also provide NHS trusts with actionable insights to inform targeted strategies for wait time reduction and service improvement.
Sanius Health has identified ~600 responses related to NHS wait times from various public social media platforms through specific keywords. These posts have provided a wealth of real-time information about the challenges faced by patients and their families associated with waiting times, demonstrating the immense potential of this approach. While its current dataset provides valuable insights, we acknowledge its limitations in providing comprehensive coverage across all trusts. The next phase for Sanius Health focuses on expanding this dataset to encompass a wider range of trusts, significantly enhancing both the scope and granularity of our analysis. This expansion will enable more nuanced insights and potentially reveal trust-specific patterns or challenges, further refining our understanding and informing tailored solutions.
The figure above ranks NHS trusts with available data on waiting times by the highest proportion of negative data points, highlighting the top 5 acute trusts with the most negative reviews: East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundational Trust, Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust and The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust. This ranking provides critical insights into patient experiences across different trusts, offering a clear picture of where improvements are most urgently needed.
For the 5 lowest ranking trusts, the historical referral to treatment (RTT) waiting times data across all services from April 2022 to May 2024 are also shown. This data reveals whether there has been any improvement in waiting times over this period, providing a clearer picture of their performance. Among the top 5 worst-performing trusts identified in our social media listening analysis, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust has the highest increase in waiting times (+64%).
This dataset has also enabled the organisation to identify several key themes related to waiting times and efficiency in healthcare settings, shedding light on both areas of strength and opportunities for improvement in patient wait times and overall system efficiency. The table below presents a patient experience extract example for the lowest-ranked trusts. By pinpointing areas of concern directly from the patient or carer point of view, this data empowers NHS leaders to target their efforts effectively and drive meaningful change in both care quality and satisfaction.
Among the notable positive observations, many patients praised the effectiveness of triage processes, where those with severe or life-threatening conditions are swiftly identified, and prioritised for care and treatment. Some patients commended the rapid availability of results, highlighting quick turnaround times for tests and reports that facilitate faster diagnosis and treatment planning.
However, the majority of the negative sentiment reviews focused on prolonged waiting times for non-urgent care in overcrowded waiting rooms, leading to significant dissatisfaction and worsened patient outcomes. Insufficient hospital capacity, inefficiencies in patient flow, and difficulties in securing timely appointments have further exacerbated patient frustration, negatively impacting overall healthcare system performance.
Harnessing the power of patient feedback and cutting-edge artificial intelligence, we have gained a better understanding of the underlying factors affecting waiting times and identified the most important areas relating to patient experience to address. Sanius Health believe this data-driven approach has the potential to transform how the NHS manages waiting lists and enhance overall patient care quality. The company is continually enhancing its social media listening databank and insights to offer a thorough understanding of waiting time challenges. The organisation’s goal is to foster a more responsive and efficient healthcare system that effectively addresses the needs of both patients and providers.
For those interested in learning more about Sanius Health’s work and its implications for health services, please contact the team at info@saniushealth.com.
