Outpatients: can we save time and reduce waiting lists?

Can a surgical treatment centre reduce waiting lists? Results of a natural experiment.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To determine the effectiveness of the Welsh general surgery (hernia and varicose veins) treatment centre established as part of the NHS reforms, in terms of its impact upon throughput and waiting lists. DESIGN This was a natural experiment with two control groups--other surgical specialties without treatment centre provision, and general surgery in districts that made only min...

How can we save forest biodiversity?

Cervicofacial Flap: Can We Save Patient's Sideburns?

BACKGROUND The conventional cervicofacial flap may cause the aesthetic problem of sideburns with a mismatched shape and arrangement. We developed a modified method with the goals of minimizing the destruction of the shape and arrangement of the sideburns and minimizing complications in comparison with the conventional method. METHODS The incision line was designed to descend just in front of ...

Can we save money by improving quality?

After years of unprecedented growth, the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK faces a major financial challenge. The cuts which providers will have to make to achieve savings will be dramatic. The UK is not alone: most health systems are challenged to ‘do more with less’ to meet the immediate funding crisis, but also the longer-term financial pressures resulting from changing demographics, n...

Can We Eliminate Certificate Revocations Lists?

We briefly consider certificate revocation lists (CRLs), and ask whether they could, and should, be eliminated, in favor of other mechanisms. In most cases, the answer seems to be “yes.” We suggest some possible replacement mechanisms.