Waiting Lists for Minor Surgery

The question

How to approach this problem and solution question

A problem and solution essay needs specific causes or problems first, then realistic solutions that match them.

1. Introduce the issue and why it matters.
2. Body 1: the main problems or causes, with examples.
3. Body 2: solutions that clearly link to each problem, saying who should act.
4. Conclude by summarising the best solution.

How to plan this answer

Structure

1. Introduction: paraphrase the long waiting times for minor surgery and identify the main problems and their causes.
2. Body 1: the problems, covering worsening conditions, pain and lost work, followed by the causes, such as limited theatre capacity and urgent cases taking priority.
3. Body 2: practical solutions, such as extra weekend operating lists, independent surgical centres and clearer triage of waiting patients.
4. Body 3: the limitations, covering the cost of extra capacity, shortages of trained staff and the risk that more operations lead to more referrals.
5. Conclusion: summarise the problems and recommend the solutions you think are most realistic in the short and long term.

Idea bank

• A cataract that gradually blurs a patient's vision, making driving unsafe and reading difficult while they wait.
• A hernia that could become strangulated while the patient waits, so a delay can turn a planned operation into an emergency.
• A hospital that cancels routine operations when beds are needed for emergency admissions, pushing patients back onto the list.
• Independent surgical centres that carry out simple procedures in short sessions, freeing hospital theatres for complex cases.
• Limitation: building new theatres takes years, and adding capacity without staff merely moves the bottleneck elsewhere.

Useful vocabulary

• to be placed on a waiting list: Patients are placed on a waiting list once their referral is accepted.
• to deteriorate: Some conditions deteriorate significantly if treatment is delayed.
• to be bumped: Routine patients are often bumped when emergency cases arrive.
• to clear the backlog: Extra weekend lists can help to clear the backlog.
• theatre capacity: Limited theatre capacity is one of the main causes of delays.
• to triage: Clinicians triage patients to decide who needs treatment first.
• to outsource: Some health services outsource routine procedures to independent centres.
• to be left in pain: Patients can be left in pain for months while they wait.
• to bring forward: Earlier referrals can bring forward the date of a planned operation.
• to free up beds: Quicker discharge can free up beds for surgical patients.

Common mistakes

• Describing the problems without explaining their causes, which the task asks for.
• Suggesting 'hire more doctors' without mentioning how the posts would be funded or staffed.
• Making medical claims that are inaccurate, such as overstating how quickly a hernia becomes dangerous.
• Treating all patients as equal, rather than recognising that clinicians prioritise urgent cases.

Examiner tip: Link each solution to a specific cause, such as weekend lists for limited theatre time. Showing that the solution targets the problem is more persuasive than a generic list.