This is the length of time waiting is calculated as being the difference between the dates at the end of the period covered by the return and the date on which the decision to admit was made or, for out-patients, the date of receipt of referral letter by the provider.
Numbers waiting should include:
|
a) |
Any patient who has been booked for inpatient or day case admission or first out-patient attendance, as appropriate. |
|
b) |
Self deferrals, in which an admission or appointment is cancelled by a patient for personal reasons. |
In the case of a self deferral, the patient remains on the waiting list and the waiting time commences from zero when the date originally offered to the patient has passed.
But exclude:
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a) |
Postponements due to medical reasons. |
Such postponements should be excluded from the waiting list until the date to which they have been postponed has passed, i.e. until it becomes possible to carry out the procedure.
|
b) |
For inpatients: |
|
i. |
Emergency admissions and cases where admission is required immediately on medical grounds, but the patient request’s a delay. |
|
ii. |
Transfer cases i.e. patients already occupying beds in the hospital but waiting for admission to another department or hospital. |
|
c) |
For out-patients: follow up cases for the same condition whether these arise as part of a regular procedure (e.g. post-operative checks) or for other reasons. |
Hospital Waiting Times
Routine Outpatient wait: This is the best estimate of the wait likely to be experienced by non-urgent patients referred at the time of reporting. The time is between the date of GP referral and the first appointment at a clinic.
Longest current Inpatient/Daycase wait: This is the longest time likely to be currently experienced by a patient on the inpatient or Daycase waiting list. The starting point is the clinician’s decision to place the patient on such a list.