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Some of the country’s leading specialists expressed concern that official waiting lists were “superficial”, because they didn’t account for patients whose referral for help was declined.
This hidden group of New Zealanders are referred for specialist help by their GP, but declined a first specialist appointment - a step that means they are not measured against official wait list targets, because they are never accepted for care.
Documents obtained by Stuff show some of the country’s leading cardiologists last year discussed concerns about the “superficiality” of waiting list figures, and efforts have since been made to implement nationwide criteria on which referrals are accepted, under what urgency.
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