My 'Increase in Patients Waiting Over Target in the Last 6 Months' (Column 'C') data shows a significant increase, but the Mean Balance per Week is close to zero (or positive). Why is this?

A sharp increase in Patients Waiting Over Target in the Last 6 Months, while maintaining a zero or positive Mean Balance can be due to number of factors.

• Temporary changes in waiting list removals – such as decreased activity due to COVID;
• Chronological booking practices – where patients may be treated out of turn; or 
• Casemix complexities – where for example in Orthopaedics, the specialty is in balance but there is an additions/removals imbalance in a subspecialty. An example of this would be where demand is greater than capacity for hand procedures, but where there is sufficient capacity for hips and shoulders.