Booked admissions as a replacement for waiting lists in the new NHS.

Abstract

Admission arrangements for elective surgery often seem archaic and out of step with the public's experience of services outside the National Health Service. In a consumer oriented NHS it would clearly be preferable to offer most patients a mutually agreeable date for admission. We consider here the place of booked admission systems within the NHS and discuss surgeons' own experiences and preferences about booked admissions for elective surgery.