Chuo CB, Breuning E, Wright T, Mendonca DA Achieving 18-Week Waiting Times in Elective Hand Surgery Journal Royal Society of Medicine 2010;July 30, 1(2), 17

The Department of Health proposed an 18-week referral-totreatment time (RTT) as a measure of high quality healthcare, to be achieved by December 2008. In 2007, referrals for elective hand surgery, to the Plastic Surgery Hand Service, were either direct or indirect. Direct referrals were from the general practitioner (GP). Indirect referrals were from other specialties, to which patients had been initially referred. We audited the RTT in elective hand surgery patients to see if 18-week waiting times could be achieved.