Waiting Times and Socioeconomic Status: Evidence from England

Mauro Laudicella, Luigi Siciliani and R. Cookson

Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers from HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York

Abstract: Waiting times for elective surgery, like hip replacement, are often referred to as an equitable rationing mechanism in publicly-funded healthcare systems because access to care is not based on socioeconomic status. This study uses patient level administrative data from the Hospital Episode Statistics database in England to investigate whether patients with higher socioeconomic status (as measured by small area level income and education deprivation) wait less than other patients. The analysis focuses on the time waited for an elective hip replacement in 2001. Overall, it provides evidence of inequity in waiting times favouring more educated individuals and, to a lesser extent, richer individuals. The results from log-linear regression models and duration analysis bring evidence that inequalities occur within hospitals and over large part of the waiting time distribution. The inequality experienced by the lowest income group increases after controlling for hospital heterogeneity.

Keywords: Waiting times; socioeconomic status; duration analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I11 I18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010-04
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Journal Article: Waiting times and socioeconomic status: Evidence from England (2012)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:yor:hectdg:10/05

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