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.
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Caring for Priya in 2031
Priya is 52 and lives in Greenwich. She works full time, supports an older relative and has noticed a persistent change in her bowel habits and blood in her poo.
She is worried that the symptoms could indicate bowel cancer and about fitting multiple appointments around her responsibilities.
Priya’s GP refers her promptly on a suspected bowel cancer pathway and the referral is triaged using clear, consistent criteria. Where clinically
appropriate, she goes straight to the Community Diagnostic Centre for the tests she needs, without first attending an unnecessary outpatient
appointment. Appointments are coordinated and she receives clear information about preparation, results and next steps.
Priya can use MyChart to manage appointments and view information, but phone and face-toface support remain available. A named contact
helps her navigate the pathway and ensures that communication between LGT and specialist partners is joined up.
If bowel cancer is diagnosed, Priya receives timely, personalised treatment and supportive care. Her emotional, practical and caring responsibilities are discussed alongside her clinical needs. Information follows her safely between LGT and specialist services, and she does not have to coordinate between the organisations herself.
Five years from now, Priya’s experience of LGT is defined by earlier diagnosis, fewer unnecessary visits, clear communication, coordinated specialist care and support that recognises her life beyond her illness.
Priya is an illustrative patient.