The dangers of a long urological waiting list

Statistics on urological waiting lists suggest that there is considerable regional variation in delay before treatment. This clearly depends on many factors but is unlikely to indicate significant variation in morbidity either at presentation or during subsequent admission for surgery. Managers and politicians should be extremely wary if encouraged to base major changes in distribution of funding and equipment on a casual examination of waiting list figures. It is doubtful if delay in diagnosis or treatment seriously influences morbidity and mortality from urological illness.