Nonetheless, in spite of these disadvantages, a common waiting list is being piloted in the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield. Feedback from this exercise may throw some light on how these disadvantages might be minimised. Advantages regional equity of access. relatively local treatment. Disadvantages this would require very close co-operation between units. National common waiting list .
Advantages ultimate equity of access.
A Common referral list ie prior to surgical consultation. Patients for CABG would be referred by the cardiologist to the surgical team and would then be allocated by the outpatient manager to the next available outpatient appointment to see an individual surgeon. Surgeons would schedule their outpatient clinics so that the number of slots for new patients per week equalled the number of patients on whom they could operate, i.e. in proportion to their commitment to adult cardiac surgery. Thus, patients would be seen and accepted for surgery by an individual surgeon and placed on that surgeon s waiting list. This should maintain a balance between the number of referrals and the number of patients undergoing surgery.