Table 2. Effect of introduction of 2-week wait and DoH guidelines on waiting times.
|
Waiting time in days: median (range)
|
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–2000 (Department of Health National Standards, Local Action, 2004) | 2000–2001 (Department of Health NHS Improvement Plan June, 2004) | 2001–2002 (National Institute for Clinical Excellence, 2005) | P-value | |
| Referral to first hospital visit | 7 (0–124) | 8 (0–101) | 9 (0–98) | 0.0009 for 1 vs 3 |
| Referral to diagnosis | 26 (0–228) | 33 (2–307) | 27 (0–300) | <0.00001 for 1 vs 2; 0.0003 for 2 vs 3 |
| First hospital visit to diagnosis | 15 (0–219) | 21 (0–294) | 15 (0–300) | <0.00001 for 1 vs 2 and 2 vs 3 |
| Referral to treatment | 37 (2–228) | 41 (2–307) | 42 (0–239) | <0.04 1 vs 2 or 3 |
DoH=Department of Health.