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HealthPathways

HealthPathways aims to support a consistent, joined-up approach to care by helping clinicians navigate local services more effectively and make decisions in line with what is available locally.
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HealthPathways

Local Clinical Support Tool

HealthPathways is a clinical support tool available across Wakefield and Kirklees. With over 180 local pathways and a growing community of over 500 users, it offers localised, condition-specific pathways to guide clinicians in making informed decisions at the point of care. Each pathway is developed by clinical editors – local GPs and hospital clinicians working in partnership with subject matter experts to ensure the guidance reflects local services and referral processes.

HealthPathways aims to support a consistent, joined-up approach to care by helping clinicians navigate local services more effectively and make decisions in line with what is available locally.

To register as a user, please visit Wakefieldandnorthkirklees.communityhealthpathways and use your NHS.net login to gain access to the platform, pathways and more.

For any further enquiries, contact James Brownjohn, Programme Lead for the Planned Care Alliance, on 07903 161699.

What Is Community HealthPathways?

Community HealthPathways is a clinical resource designed to support general practice teams with consistent, locally-agreed information for assessing and managing patients with specific conditions or symptoms.

While its primary focus is on care delivered in the community, the platform also includes guidance on referral criteria and processes for accessing local specialist services where needed.

Although developed with general practice in mind, Community HealthPathways is used by health and social care professionals across the wider system, helping to promote a joined-up approach to care and a shared understanding of local pathways.

What is Hospital HealthPathways?

Hospital HealthPathways offers secondary care clinicians access to a suite of localised clinical pathways, reflecting agreed processes and best practice within the acute Trust.

Primarily developed for junior doctors and senior clinicians working outside their specialty, the platform supports consistent, standardised ways of working across hospital teams. By aligning care with locally agreed pathways, Hospital HealthPathways helps reduce duplication, minimise variation, and promote clarity in clinical decision-making.

Why Use HealthPathways?

HealthPathways is an online platform available 24/7, designed to support clinicians in delivering safe, consistent, and evidence-informed care. Mobile-friendly and easy to navigate, it presents information in a format that supports use during consultations.

The platform offers:

  • Locally agreed clinical guidance – enabling clinicians to make informed decisions with patients at the point of care. This includes advice on assessment, management, and referral to appropriate services.
  • A trusted source of clinical pathways developed by local GPs and hospital doctors for use across the health and care system.
  • Improved consistency and safety by reducing unwarranted variation and helping embed best practice across services.
  • Up-to-date, evolving content with pathways regularly reviewed and updated to reflect local service changes and new clinical evidence.
  • Anywhere, anytime access from a mobile phone, laptop or desktop, whether in the practice, at home, or out in the community.

HealthPathways supports a more joined-up, confident approach to care ensuring patients receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

The Benefits of HealthPathways

  • Better for patients: HealthPathways supports more informed clinical decision-making by clearly outlining the most appropriate options for meeting a patient’s needs. By helping clinicians understand when specialist services are suitable and when care can be delivered effectively in the community patients are more likely to receive the right care, first time. This helps avoid unnecessary delays, such as long waits for specialist appointments that may not be needed.
  • Better for clinicians: The development of HealthPathways fosters stronger connections between primary care and hospital specialists. By working together to localise pathways, clinicians gain greater clarity and confidence in available care options. This collaborative approach supports safer, more consistent care across settings.
  • Better for the system: By helping patients access appropriate care in the community, HealthPathways helps reduce pressure on acute and residential services. This allows the wider system to make better use of available resources – freeing up capacity for elective care and supporting the sustainability of primary care.

Pathways in Development

The first set of hospital-based pathways currently in development includes:
  • Lung cancer
  • Symptomatic COVID-19
  • Vitamin D supplementation
  • Pyelonephritis
  • Chest pain
  • Acute coronary syndrome (ACS)
  • Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)
  • Heart failure
  • Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)

The initial primary care pathways in progress include:

  • Anorectal and perianal abscess
  • Eczema
  • Gout
  • Haemorrhoids
  • Hypertension
  • Influenza immunisation
  • Lung cancer
  • Symptomatic COVID-19
  • Scabies
  • Migraine
  • Hyperlipidaemia
  • Rhinitis and nasal obstruction
  • Dyspepsia and GORD
  • Vertigo
  • Acne
  • Pyelonephritis
  • Anal fissure

Pathways are prioritised based on local need, service demand, and clinical input.

If there’s a pathway you believe should be considered, please email james.brownjohn@nhs.net with your suggestion.

Be sure to include the proposed pathway name, relevant specialty, and a brief explanation of why it should be prioritised for development.