Location in SystemView: Surgery > Waiting List > Maximum Waiting Time Summary
In this article
What it is
The Maximum Waiting Time Summary component provides a consolidated view of patients waiting beyond a selected maximum wait time threshold. It compares the current week to the previous week and tracks changes over time, including year-to-date movement and comparison to a defined baseline.
It also highlights the longest waiting patient and how that has changed relative to a baseline point.
Why it matters
Track and reduce long waits by making changes visible over time.
This component supports visibility of patients exceeding target wait times and how this is evolving week to week and across the year.
- Monitor the number of patients waiting above maximum wait time thresholds
-
Identify whether performance is improving or deteriorating week to week
- Track progress against a baseline position
- Highlight specialties or hospitals with the longest waits
How to use it
Filter to focus your view
Use the filter bar to refine the cohort being analysed:
- Health Region: View data for a specific region
- Hospital: Focus on an individual facility
- Procedure Type: Filter by surgical or non-surgical procedures
- Specialty: Drill down into a specific specialty
- Category: Filter by clinical urgency category
- Suspended: Include or exclude suspended patients
- Wait Time: Select the maximum wait time threshold (for example 10 or 12 weeks, 6, 9, 12 or 15 months, or 4 years)
Review long wait performance and changes
| Tile / Chart Name | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Wait Time Summary | A table summarising patients waiting above the selected maximum wait time threshold, broken down by Health Region, Hospital, Specialty, and Procedure Type. Includes week-on-week comparison, percentage change, year-to-date movement, and longest wait metrics. |
Table columns explained
- No. of Patients Waiting Over Max Wait Time (this week): Count of patients currently exceeding the selected wait time threshold
- No. of Patients Waiting Over Max Wait Time (last week): Count from the previous week for comparison
- Change: Numerical difference between this week and last week
- % Change: Percentage change between weeks
- YTD Change: Change in the number of long waiters since the start of the reporting year
- Balance (13 wk. ave.): Average weekly change in long waiters over the past 13 weeks, indicating trend direction
- Current Longest Wait (Days/Years): The longest current waiting time for an individual patient
- Baseline (Days/Years): The longest wait at a defined baseline point in time
- Change to Baseline (Days/Years): Difference between the current longest wait and the baseline value
How it works
The component draws on waiting list data from the surgical source system and aggregates it by hospital and specialty.
- Data is updated daily
- Patients are assessed against the selected maximum wait time threshold
- Weekly comparisons are calculated using current and prior week snapshots
- Year-to-date change reflects cumulative movement over the reporting period
- Longest wait values identify the maximum individual waiting time in the cohort
Maximum wait time thresholds align with defined targets, such as Sláintecare wait time targets where applicable
How it helps you
- Monitor long waiters: Quickly see how many patients are exceeding target timeframes
- Track performance trends: Compare current performance to last week and over time
- Assess improvement against baseline: Understand whether longest waits are reducing
- Identify variation: Spot differences across hospitals and specialties
- Support planning discussions: Use trend and balance data to inform operational decisions
Best practices
How often should I use it?
FAQs
What does “Maximum Wait Time” refer to?
Maximum wait time refers to the selected threshold used to define long waiters, typically aligned to national or local targets.
What is the “Longest Wait”?
The longest wait represents the individual patient with the highest waiting time in the selected cohort.
Why might my numbers change week to week?
Changes reflect patients being added to or removed from the waiting list, as well as movement across wait time thresholds.