Definition
A term used to describe the way health and social care organisations respond to people who are on a waiting list for an assessment or treatment. The approach can include offering information about sources of support, or keeping people informed about how much longer they might be waiting.
The bigger picture
The concept of waiting well is well-intentioned, but presents several problematic issues. It accepts that waiting lists are inevitable, rather than accepting that waiting lists are fundamentally bad for people and for systems. It doesn’t address the causes of waiting lists – which include overly bureaucratic approaches, poor system co-ordination, and assumptions about who people are, what’s important to them and the type of support they will require based on a generic label. It puts the onus on the person to ‘wait well’, placing the responsibilty on them and deflecting attention from statutory duties around prevention and early action. It doesn’t acknowledge the emotional and psychological cost of waiting on people and families, the time and money that organisations invest in managing waiting lists (screening, ‘RAG rating’, re-prioritising) that could be invested in supporting people instead, and the cost of the ‘come back when things get worse’ approach which means the system is in continuous crisis-response mode where options are limited and usually involve expensive and restrictive support.
Saying it differently
To be more effective, the focus should be on transforming the approach to care and support more generally, investing in ways of working that remove the need for waiting lists, increase opportunities for people to access support at a time and place that works for them, and ensuring that people do not bear the responsibility of managing their well-being during a time when the system should be offering the care and support they need.