Skip to main content
Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine logoLink to Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine
. 1991 Jul;84(7):405–407. doi: 10.1177/014107689108400709

Waiting list initiatives: crisis management or targeting of resources?

R P Mills 1, J M Heaton 1
PMCID: PMC1293330  PMID: 1865447

Abstract

To investigate the impact of a waiting list initiative on an ENT surgical waiting list, we have evaluated the outcome of the Tayside ENT Waiting List Initiative. Four hundred and forty-five patients were offered dates to come in during the initiative. Of these, 280 underwent surgery and 16 indicated that their operations were no longer necessary. The maximum wait for routine operations falling within the criteria for inclusion in the initiative was 28 months prior to the initiative can be effective in reducing waiting times for routine surgery. However, it is too early to describe the Tayside initiative as an unqualified success, as it remains to be seen whether or not the waiting list will lengthen again now that it is over.

Full text

PDF
405

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Frankel S., Farrow A., West R. Non-admission or non-invitation? A case-control study of failed admissions. BMJ. 1989 Sep 2;299(6699):598–600. doi: 10.1136/bmj.299.6699.598. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Frankel S. The natural history of waiting lists--some wider explanations for an unnecessary problem. Health Trends. 1989 May;21(2):56–58. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Goldacre M. J., Lee A., Don B. Waiting list statistics. I: Relation between admissions from waiting list and length of waiting list. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1987 Oct 31;295(6606):1105–1108. doi: 10.1136/bmj.295.6606.1105. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Houghton P. W., Brodribb A. J. Failure to attend for operation: a comparison between booked admissions and the waiting list system. BMJ. 1989 Nov 4;299(6708):1139–1140. doi: 10.1136/bmj.299.6708.1139-a. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Morrissey S., Alun-Jones T., Leighton S. Why are operations cancelled? BMJ. 1989 Sep 23;299(6702):778–778. doi: 10.1136/bmj.299.6702.778. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Williams B. The use and misuse of bed-occupancy and waiting-list figures. Lancet. 1968 May 11;1(7550):1029–1030. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(68)91128-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine are provided here courtesy of Royal Society of Medicine Press

RESOURCES