Can operating time be used as a method of planning a plastic surgeon's operating list and assessing performance?

Analysis of a consultant plastic surgeons elective theatre list over a 1-year period with a view to estimating case number, case work load and operating times indicated that the latter cannot be reliably used as a performance indicator. While operating time can be of interest in planning the composition of a theatre session, more useful information can be obtained by assessing work load in conjunction with the case numbers. Various problems in using the BUPA intermediate equivalent values for workload are outlined.