Audit Commission blames poor management for variations in waiting times

The length of time that patients wait for outpatient appointments and for surgery in ear, nose, and throat departments in the United Kingdom varies widely by NHS trust. But waiting times are not directly linked to levels of demand and capacity, according to a report released this week by the country’s public spending watchdog, the Audit Commission.

“We noted very wide variations in waiting times within trusts and between trusts,” Jane Laughton, author of the report, told the BMJ. “This is to do with …