DCB0095: Consultant-led referral to treatment (RTT) waiting times

In England, under the NHS Constitution, patients have ‘the right to access certain services commissioned by NHS bodies within maximum waiting times’.  This information standard outlines the specification and requirements for an aggregate monthly data collection to monitor waiting times performance against the standards set out in the National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012, and the 2015 amendment.

Data are submitted to NHS England and NHS Improvement via NHS Digital’s Strategic Data Collection Service (SDCS) and form the basis of National Statistics for Consultant-led Referral to Treatment Waiting Times published by NHS England and NHS Improvement.

This information standard is published under section 250 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012. An Information Standards Notice (see below) provides an overview of scope and implementation timescales, and the Specification and Implementation Guidance document provides further detail for those who have to implement the information standard.