NHS league tables are more spin than substance

doi:10.1136/bmj.325.7364.596

BMJ 2002;325:596 ( 14 September )

Letters

NHS league tables are more spin than substance

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR $---$ My hospital was last month awarded the coveted top ranking of three stars in the NHS league table.¹

The kidney unit in which I work has 65 patients on the waiting list to start dialysis for kidney failure. Ten dialysis stationslie empty, which could accomodate all of them if the revenue wasforthcoming, which it hasn't been for many many months. Only whensomeone dies or receives a transplant will a space become available.This state of affairs does not exist anywhere in Europe, evenin Bulgaria $---$ one of Europe's poorestcountries.

Several patients require parathryroidectomy for secondary hyperparathyroism, a well known complication of chronic renal failure.It takes 3-4 months to see the overstretched surgeon and a further9-12 months before he can do the operation. The patients are puton a "pre-list list" and after 3-4 months are contacted to findout when in the next 6-9 months they would . . . [Full text of this article]