NHS waiting lists and evidence of national or local failure: analysis of health service data.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVES:To investigate the national distribution of prolonged waiting for elective day case and inpatient surgery, and to examine associations of prolonged waiting with markers of NHS capacity, activity in the independent sector, and need. SETTING:NHS hospital trusts in England. POPULATION:People waiting for elective treatment in the specialties of general surgery; ear, nose and throat surgery; ophthalmic surgery; and trauma and orthopaedic surgery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE:Numbers of people waiting six months or longer (prolonged waiting). Characteristics of trusts with large numbers waiting six months or longer were examined by using logistic regression. RESULTS:The distribution of numbers of people waiting for day case or elective surgery in all the specialties examined was highly positi

SUBMITTER: Martin RM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC140273 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature