Related Experiment Videos
Is the National Health Service at the edge of chaos?
M C Papadopoulos1, M Hadjitheodossiou, C Chrysostomou
1Department of Neurosurgery, Hurstwood Park Neurological Centre, Hayward's Heath RH16 4EX, UK. MPapadopoulos@compuserve.com
Abstract:
We used chaos and complexity theory to analyse waiting-list data (1998-2001) pertaining to over 20 000 National Health Service (NHS) patients from general surgical, orthopaedic and neurosurgical units across England. Plots of frequency versus quarter-to-quarter change in waiting times revealed a power relation which seems independent of surgical specialty and hospital location. One interpretation of these findings is that, for the period in question, the NHS was a system at the edge of chaos. This hypothesis might explain why waiting times have resisted attempts at shortening.