Covid: Keeping you updated 10

The temporary suspension of most clinical services during the initial response to the Covid-19 pandemic has left many worrying about the extent of the back log and the impact this will have upon future waiting times for patients. Last week saw the launch of a useful waiting list estimate tool from the company Medbelle, a company who describe themselves as ‘the UK’s first digital hospital’. You can access the tool at www.medbelle.com/waitlist and, by inputting the clinical discipline and hospital area, easily calculate the estimated waiting times whether there be full capacity, reduced capacity or a second infection peak post-lockdown. Figure 1 shows my results for ophthalmology services. One startling prediction is a more than doubling in ophthalmology waiting times if a second Covid outbreak arrives.