The anatomy of large inpatient waiting lists

A survey of 31,224 patients on 33 of the largest inpatient surgical waiting lists in Wales and the West Midlands was undertaken in 1986. 19% of the patients were older than 64 years and over 90% lived within their district of treatment or in an adjacent district. Patients awaiting operations for hernia, varicose veins, arthroscopy, cataract, tonsils and adenoids, or sterilisation made up 45% of the lists. 45% of patients had already waited over a year for treatment, and it was evident that many of the lists had not been properly reviewed.