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Rheumatology 2000; 39: 349-352
© 2000 British Society for Rheumatology

Editorials

Waiting times and referrals

A. N. BAMJI

Department of Rheumatology, Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup, Kent DA14 6LT, UK

The UK has a unique problem, or asset, called the National Health Service (NHS). A state run and funded healthcare system, it has since 1948 purported to provide an efficient and all-embracing service that is free at the point of contact. That it has never actually achieved this has been glossed over by successive generations of politicians who have striven to show that their government has provided more incentives and funds than any of its predecessors. While the input of resources has indeed increased year on year, it has never actually kept pace with the demand of the service. Diseases that were untreatable 50 yr ago may now be curable; new drugs, investigations and surgical techniques have revolutionized many areas of medicine; but all of these advances have had a price tag attached. In recent years there have been many attempts to reduce waiting lists for surgery, reduce waiting times . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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