The builder's path
For: Patients in England referred by their GP don't know they can pick a hospital with a shorter wait.
“Some things are under our control, while others are not under our control.”
Routes to a solution
Each route is a different kind of journey, with real people and organisations to contact at each step, starting with those in England.
Step 1
Join an impact incubator
Shape a model that pays for itself without excluding the people who need it.
Volunteer data scientists working with social-sector organisations.
Accelerator for tech nonprofits.
Patient capital and fellowships for enterprises serving low-income communities.
Fellowships and seed funding for social innovators.
Step 2
Raise patient capital
Impact funds and fellowships for enterprises serving low-income communities.
Volunteer data scientists working with social-sector organisations.
Accelerator for tech nonprofits.
Patient capital and fellowships for enterprises serving low-income communities.
Fellowships and seed funding for social innovators.
Ideas, sources and tools for this problem, from first interviews to funding.
Monthly waiting-time data by provider and treatment function.
NHS site with average waits by hospital; useful to compare against and link to.
Patient champion that raised the low rate of choice being offered.
Starter prompt
Built from this problem's brief. Paste it into Claude or any AI assistant.
Help me design and build a first working prototype for this problem in England, UK. Problem: Patients in England referred by their GP don't know they can pick a hospital with a shorter wait. Who it hurts: People being referred for specialist care, who have a legal right to choose where they are treated. The moment it hurts: The GP appointment where a referral is made, and the weeks afterwards while waiting for a first hospital letter. What people do today: Most people are not offered a choice, and many don't know they have one. They wait for whichever hospital the referral goes to. Why it is still unsolved: Waiting-time data is published by trust and specialty, but not in a form a patient can read in a GP appointment or compare for their own postcode. What solved looks like: A patient types a postcode and a specialty and sees nearby NHS hospitals ranked by current typical wait, with a printable note explaining their right to choose that they can bring to the GP or use to ask for a change. Where: England, UK First, list what you would need to learn from the people affected before building, as interview questions. Then propose the simplest version that would help, the screens or messages it needs, and the data it would use. Keep it cheap to run, accessible, and respectful of people's privacy. Flag anything you are unsure about instead of guessing.
Talk to the people who live it before you build.
“The true creator is necessity, which is the mother of our invention.”
Get a working version in front of people fast.
Using AI is not cheating. Every tool carries the work of the people who made it, and using it well is how knowledge has always moved forward. The thinking, the care for the people who live the problem, and the judgement are still yours.
“The Analytical Engine weaves algebraical patterns just as the Jacquard-loom weaves flowers and leaves.”
Open data that fits this problem.
“In the fields of observation chance favours only the prepared mind.”
Dans les champs de l'observation le hasard ne favorise que les esprits préparés.
Tools matched to what this problem needs.
“That which is an obstacle on the road helps us on this road.”
Ship it responsibly, and find help and funding.
“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.”
Kit written for this problem from its brief; every link was checked. Links go to each provider's own site. Zetema is not paid for any listing.