Inappropriate adjustments to NHS waiting-lists

Citation

(2002), "Inappropriate adjustments to NHS waiting-lists", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 15 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2002.06215bab.010

Inappropriate adjustments to NHS waiting-lists

Inappropriate adjustments to NHS waiting-listsKeywords: NAO, Waiting-lists, Out-patients, Waiting-times, Distorting lists

In July 2001 the National Audit Office (NAO) published its report In-patient and Out-patient Waiting in the NHS on the accuracy and management of NHS waiting-lists. In the report it listed six NHS Trusts where waiting-lists had been inappropriately adjusted and promised further work on them. In December, it published a further report setting out the results of that examination, which takes account of a further three Trusts where inappropriate adjustments have come to light.

Commenting on the December report, NHS Chief Executive Nigel Crisp condemned NHS managers responsible for distorting waiting-list data in the nine NHS Trusts between 1996 and 2000. He said:

I expect, and the public have a right to expect, higher standards from NHS managers than this. Nine out of 300 NHS Trusts distorted their figures and the numbers of patients involved are very small set against the five million who have an NHS operation each year. But the principles involved are important and I take this report very seriously.

He accepted in full the recommendations set out in the NAO report, and announced a programme of action:

• •

  The Department of Health has requested the Audit Commission to initiate a system of spot-checks on waiting-list statistics hospital-by-hospital. The spot-checks will begin next year.

• •

  Waiting-times for all NHS consultants will be published on the Internet in future, so that individual patients will be able to see if their experience bears out claims on waiting-times;

• •

  In future, any manager found to have deliberately distorted waiting figures will face dismissal on grounds of gross misconduct. This will be supported by a new code of conduct for NHS managers. Anyone who breaches that code of conduct will not be re-employed as a manager – anywhere in the NHS.

Lawyers are being asked to see whether any cash pay-outs to those involved can be reclaimed and to see if disciplinary action can be taken against any of the individuals still employed in the NHS.

The full NAO report Inappropriate Adjustments to NHS Waiting-Lists can be downloaded from the NAO Web site at www.nao.gov.uk