title: Waiting times. Quick quick slow.
abstract: In most hospitals, a two-week guaranteed maximum waiting time for cancer referrals will be a mathematical impossibility. Guaranteed waiting times require over-provision of appointments. Randomness makes it virtually impossible to allocate the 'correct' number of urgent appointment slots. Current appointment systems are not able to cope with the operational demands arising out of randomness. Randomness dictates that only a proportion of appointments can be offered a guaranteed time.
authors.affiliation: Royal Berkshire and Battle, Hospitals Trust.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D005194:Family Practice; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D006113:United Kingdom; D014850:Waiting Lists