Should disadvantaged patients have higher priority on medical waiting lists?

The reality of health resource scarcity (whether in the number of doctors, operating theatres, or solid organs) means that not everyone can have their health needs fulfilled all at the same time. Healthcare systems use waiting lists to regulate the order and level of priority in which patients are seen, with the length of these waiting lists a common source of complaint among patients. However, empirical evidence around the world shows that disadvantaged patients (such as poorer and minority ethnic patients) often experience longer waits for treatment than more advantaged patients. This has led to some proposals for considering patients’ level of disadvantage when deciding their place on waiting lists.

Using New Zealand’s short-lived Equity Adjustor Tool as a case study, I explore whether the demands of justice and health equity require that medical waiting lists be designed so that more disadvantaged patients have higher priority on waiting lists compared to more advantaged patients. I introduce an ethical framework for thinking about waiting list design in healthcare and explain how this helps us to reflect on this question. 

All welcome - booking not required. View information on accessibility in the South Wing.

The UCL Health Humanities Centre draws together staff from different disciplines, departments and faculties engaged in teaching and research on matters relating to health, illness and well-being.

Image: Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash