Is follow-up capacity the current NHS bottleneck?

Capacity and demand theory suggests that the presence of a queue is not necessarily an indication of a shortage of capacity in a system. It is much more likely that either there is a demand and capacity variation that creates queues or there is a delay designed into the system. A shortage of capacity is only really indicated where a backlog is not stable and continues to grow. In this article, data are taken from one NHS trust that provides evidence for a continually growing backlog for follow-up outpatient services. It is believed that these data are representative of most locations within the NHS in England and therefore suggest an immediate shortage in effective follow-up capacity. To avoid compromise to patient care, the problem will have to be addressed before the situation becomes unmanageable. The paper highlights options to reduce or deflect demand or to increase effective capacity.