What our strategy will mean for patients by 2031
The changes that we will make will change the way we look after our patients.
When we deliver against our strategy, this is what our 2031 patients can expect from LGT.
We will help you stay well
You will get advice and support earlier, before a health problem becomes more serious.
You will get more care closer to home
When it is right for you, you will be cared for at home or in your local community instead of having to go to hospital.
You will wait less time for care
We will work to make appointments, tests, treatment and emergency care quicker and more consistent.
You will receive safe and kind care
We will treat you with dignity, listen to you and learn when things could have gone better.
Your care will be better joined up.
The different people and services supporting you will work together, including when you move between hospital and home.
You will not have to keep repeating your story.
Your care teams will be able to see the information they need, and we will explain your healthcare clearly.
You will have more choice and control
You will be involved in decisions about your care and able to manage appointments and information online if you want to. Other ways to contact us will still be available.
You will get tests, results and treatment sooner
Where possible, we will arrange what you need in fewer visits and closer to home.
Your care will be right for you
We will consider your needs, preferences and circumstances, give you information in a way you can understand and make reasonable adjustments when needed.
You will be cared for in better places by teams with more time for you
Our buildings will be safer and easier to use, and simpler systems will help our colleagues spend more time caring for patients.
Our care in 2031: illustrative patient examples
We’ve brought this to life through the illustrative patient case studies that bring together our commitments and show how joined-up care could feel for people with different needs in five years’ time. They reflect our ambition for earlier support, equitable access, informed choice, clear communication and safer transitions between services.
They are illustrations, rather than guarantees for individual patients, and are not intended to represent every community, protected characteristic, condition or care pathway across Lewisham, Greenwich and Bexley.
Back to the list
Caring for Józef in 2031
Józef is 82, is originally from Poland and has lived in Britain for ten years. He does not speak English. He has type 2 diabetes and has previously had a stroke.
When Józef develops chest pain, an ambulance takes him to the Emergency Department at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Information from the ambulance team is available promptly and staff can see his existing health record, medicines and medical history. He does not have to rely on a relative to interpret: a professional interpreter is arranged quickly so he can explain what has happened, understand the tests being carried out and take part in decisions about his care.
Józef is assessed promptly and treated with dignity and compassion. The team considers his chest pain alongside his diabetes, previous stroke and wider needs. Tests and specialist advice are coordinated without unnecessary delay, and information is explained clearly through the interpreter. Józef knows what is happening and has time to ask questions.
Józef needs to stay in hospital for two nights for monitoring. His care is joined up across the Emergency Department, acute medical team, pharmacy and other specialists. His diabetes and medicines are managed safely, and staff use the same electronic patient record to share updates and avoid duplication. Any reasonable adjustments and support with communication, mobility, eating, drinking and personal care are recorded and followed.
From the start of Józef’s admission, the team discusses what he will need when he leaves hospital. It becomes clear that he cannot return home safely without further assessment and support. Józef is involved in considering the available options, with a professional interpreter throughout and, if he wishes, support from family or someone he trusts. The team first explores rehabilitation, reablement, adaptations and care at home, before agreeing with Józef that a care-home placement is the safest and most appropriate option. His cultural, religious, dietary, communication and personal care needs are understood as part of finding a suitable home, without making assumptions about what
matters to him.
Hospital teams work with Lewisham community services, adult social care and potential care providers to plan the next stage of Józef’s care. Assessments begin early, responsibility is clear and delays are escalated. The team keeps Józef informed through a professional interpreter while a suitable placement is found. Before he moves, the care home receives an accurate summary of his health, medicines, diabetes management, mobility, communication needs and follow-up plan.
When Józef is ready to leave hospital, safe transport is arranged and the care home is prepared to receive him. He and those supporting him know where he is going, why the placement is suitable and what will happen next. Follow-up is coordinated, and the right information is available to the professionals responsible for his ongoing care.
Five years from now, Józef’s experience of LGT is defined by rapid assessment, communication he can understand, safe and joined-up care, and a discharge planned around his health, independence and individual needs.
Józef is an illustrative patient.