Average RTT waiting times are pointless and a missed opportunity
Average waiting time targets will make the numbers look smaller, but that's about it. Field testing should explore other options that might actually deliver the review's aims.
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January’s efforts slow the deterioration in elective waits
In spite of record pressures on A&E waiting times, the English NHS managed to have a fairly normal January for elective care.
Separating electives from non-electives
Are hot and cold sites the right answer? The last in a 7-part series on bed occupancy.
Different beds, different bed occupancies
The differences between medicine and maternity, big units and small ones. Part 6 of a 7-part series on bed occupancy.
Waiting times in the Long Term Plan
The Long Term Plan will be a bit hollow until other reports fill it in later this year. But it contains some tantalising hints about how things are likely to go.
Morning discharges and the 4 hour target
They help, but only when bed occupancy is very high. Part 5 of a 7-part series on bed occupancy.
Winter hits elective waiting times
RTT waiting times shot up in December as winter started to bite. In better news, one year waits continued to fall.
Some strategies for tackling excessive bed occupancy
Should we focus on morning discharges? Or reducing lengths of stay? Part 4 of a 7-part series on bed occupancy.
Calculating bed occupancy and risk – hour by hour variation
Variation during the week. Part 3 of a 7-part series on bed occupancy.
NHS Improvement report “Operating theatres: opportunities to reduce waiting lists”
All in all, NHS Improvement have produced a helpful study of theatre productivity. As trusts begin to "work through the underlying drivers of the different types of downtime", the visualisations and analyses produced by Gooroo Planner will be invaluable.