Waiting times are ultimately a by-product of the battle between
supply and demand and can be tackled by
1) Increasing supply
2) Reducing demand
More and more we see attempts to concentrate on the latter. This could be
done by stating
a) Some conditions can be dealt by others with less degree of expertise
(No evidence is usually produces for this)
b) Artificial imposition of ratios like New: old stating often arbitrarily
that only X amount of follow ups only are required for said condition
c) Sometimes such diktats cam clash with national policy i.e. NICE says
all Paediatric epilepsy should be seen and managed by specialists vs.
local efforts to "stem the tide” of patients trying to get into specialist
clinics
Ultimately waiting times may be an accolade to people and specialities in
demand rather than a marker for inefficiency as perceived by some powers
to be
Ultimately it comes down to managing demand and supply. Everything else is
rationalization
Rapid Response:
Waiting time
Waiting times are ultimately a by-product of the battle between
supply and demand and can be tackled by
1) Increasing supply
2) Reducing demand
More and more we see attempts to concentrate on the latter. This could be
done by stating
a) Some conditions can be dealt by others with less degree of expertise
(No evidence is usually produces for this)
b) Artificial imposition of ratios like New: old stating often arbitrarily
that only X amount of follow ups only are required for said condition
c) Sometimes such diktats cam clash with national policy i.e. NICE says
all Paediatric epilepsy should be seen and managed by specialists vs.
local efforts to "stem the tide” of patients trying to get into specialist
clinics
Ultimately waiting times may be an accolade to people and specialities in
demand rather than a marker for inefficiency as perceived by some powers
to be
Ultimately it comes down to managing demand and supply. Everything else is
rationalization
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests