Patients waiting for planned surgery in Dudley are being offered earlier health screening so potential problems can be identified well before their operation.
The Dudley Group's new Early Health Screening Service moves checks earlier in the pathway rather than waiting until the traditional preoperative assessment.
That extra time can allow patients and clinicians to address health concerns and improve readiness for surgery, potentially making operations safer and recovery smoother.
It is a structural change rather than another instruction for patients to simply 'get healthier', giving people information and support at a point when there is actually time to act on it.