A note on the dynamic interaction between waiting times and waiting lists

Waiting times are commonly used as a rationing device in health care and the public sector. We develop a stylised model, which predicts the dynamics of waiting times and waiting lists over time as a function of differing demand and supply parameters. We show that a path with decreasing waiting time and increasing waiting list over certain time intervals is a possible solution, which is consistent with some empirical evidence. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.