Waiting times. Catch up, keep up.

Trusts vary greatly on their progress in achieving waiting-list targets, particularly for 2005. A study of trusts with a range of performances identified four key criteria: information use, managerial focus, capacity and long-term efficiency. Actions that help a trust 'catch up' rarely help them 'keep up; strategies may need to change once waiting lists have fallen markedly. Flexibility, forward planning and 'expecting the unexpected' are characteristics of successful trusts.