Waiting for a specialist: how to cut delays?
A six-month wait to see a specialist.
- Train more doctors and refinance the public system
- Organise care better and value GPs more
- Develop private clinics to ease the pressure
What's at stake: The debate is about the cause of waiting times: a lack of public resources, how care is organised, or insufficient private provision.
The left's argument
Waiting times come from a lack of public resources: train more and pay better.
The centre's argument
Organise the care pathway better and give general practitioners a bigger role.
The right's argument
The private sector can absorb part of the demand and cut waiting times for all.
And you, where do you stand?
Answer 30 situations like this one and find out where you stand, topic by topic.