Waiting times for and attendance at paediatric ophthalmology outpatient appointments.

Abstract

An outpatient initiative started in Glasgow in July 1994 with the aim of reducing waiting time for first hospital appointments for children referred by general practitioners with suspected amblyopia or strabismus. Benefits of reduced waiting times for first hospital appointments include compliance with the Patient's Charter and the possibility of treating amblyopia at an earlier stage. A potential additional benefit of reduced waiting times might be improved attendance rates at the first appointment. The long waiting times existing at the beginning of the initiative and the subsequent reduction provided a sufficient range of waiting times to allow this effect to be investigated. The specialised nature of the clinic meant that all parents had been told by their general practitioners that strabismus or amblyopia was suspected, hence reducing variation in parental perception of the severity of their child's problem. …