Okuzeka
Healthcare Management vocabulary · Patient Flow and Capacity

Waiting list

Meaning in healthcare management, with examples

nounCore term

In healthcare management, waiting list means: A list of patients who are waiting for an appointment, test or operation, usually ordered by clinical priority and the date they were added.

In Turkish: bekleme listesi, sıra listesi

How it is used

Central in public systems such as the UK NHS, where waiting lists are closely followed by the public and the media. Patients are put on, added to or removed from a waiting list; managers try to reduce it and 'validate' it to remove patients who no longer need treatment. American English often says 'wait list'.

Example sentences

  1. There are 1,200 patients on the waiting list for cataract surgery.

  2. We added weekend operating lists to bring the waiting list down.

Common collocations

  • on the waiting list
  • reduce the waiting list
  • waiting list backlog
  • add to the waiting list
  • validate the waiting list
  • waiting timeThe time a patient has to wait for care, for example from arrival to being seen in the emergency department, or from referral to surgery.
  • electivePlanned in advance rather than done as an emergency, such as a hip replacement that is booked weeks ahead.
  • referralThe act of sending a patient to another doctor, specialist, service or hospital for further assessment or treatment, or the letter or request that does this.
  • capacityThe amount of care a hospital or service can provide with its beds, staff, rooms and equipment in a given time.

More terms: Patient Flow and Capacity

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.