UK: Nation loses 1.3 billion hours in the queue

Brits spend a total of 1.3 billion hours a year queuing, according to new research released today.

The study reveals that people in the UK spend 33 minutes on average standing in a queue each week – which works out at more than a day a year per person.

And queuing for the loo has been voted the most stressful wait, by four in 10 of those polled, followed by waiting for a medical appointment, at over a third of those questioned.

The five most stressful queues, according to adults in the UK, include waiting:

1. To use the loo
2. For a Doctor’s appointment
3. To board a plane
4. At the cashier’s till in a supermarket
5. At the bank

The research, which also reveals that three in five British adults think we’re a nation obsessed with queuing, was commissioned by Norwich Union Healthcare as part of the promotion of their Waiting List Guide. This comprehensive information source allows people – for the first time ever – to find out information on total waiting times*, both the wait to see a consultant and the wait for the operation on the NHS, for 40 of the most common medical procedures.

The guide, which is part of Norwich Union Healthcare’s online Personal Health Manager, allows its users to search waiting list data either by procedure, specialty (eg Plastic surgery or Cardiology), specific NHS Trusts, or Trusts within selected postcode areas.

Heather Smith, head of marketing at Norwich Union Healthcare, said: "The Waiting List Guide aims to help reduce waiting times by empowering the patient to make informed choices about the treatment they receive, in discussion with their GP."

"As a nation, we do seem to spend a vast amount of time unavoidably waiting around and this research supports the idea that queuing is something of a national pastime in the UK.

"The idea that people could actively help reduce their waiting time for consultant appointments and treatment, by having the tools they need to make informed decisions is bound to be welcomed by those who find waiting for Doctor’s appointment a stressful experience."

Norwich Union Healthcare’s "Waiting Game" survey also found:

• A third of people admit to queue jumping and one in five say they’d push in if someone else had already done it ahead of them
• The Welsh are most likely to take the initiative and jump to the front of the queue (at 40% of those questioned), followed by Londoners at 35%
• 36% of men say they’ve pushed in, compared to 26% of women – and women generally find queuing more stressful than men
• At four in ten of those questioned, Londoners are the most likely people in the country to think queuing is a waste of time
• And more than a third of Brits don’t agree with the old maxim, good things come to those who wait

Personal Health Manager offers round-the-clock help, advice and information for Norwich Union Healthcare customers and their families. It also provides access to a 24 hour GP Helpline. The service is available to Individual and Group Private Medical Insurance customers of Norwich Union Healthcare, who register on the site, as part of the policy benefits available to them.

And Norwich Union Healthcare has set up a 30 day free trial** of Personal Health Manager – including the Waiting List Guide. Simply visit www.personalhealthmanager.co.uk, click on "First Time User" and follow the on screen instructions.

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Media contacts:
Jo Misson/Charlotte Ruddlesdin at QBO Bell Pottinger on 020 7861 2424 (out of hours telephone number: 07887 777 731) or Lorna Wiltshire at Norwich Union Press Office on 01904 723236 or 07788 471849

Notes to Editors:

*Dr Foster has collected data from Hospital Episode Statistics and the Department of Health (DOH) to compile average waiting times in days for a range of specific procedures or specialties at the majority of NHS Trusts in England and Scotland. Only planned admissions are included in the research.

The waiting list data indicates the average wait (the median in days). The median point is the 50th percentile point or the point at which 50% of waits are shorter and 50% longer.

The average total waiting times include the wait to see a consultant as well as the wait thereafter for treatment. The average days waited for a first appointment with a consultant is estimated from published DOH figures. A patient’s clinical need may impact upon the waiting time.

**The 24-hour GP Helpline is not available as part of the trial. Personal Health Manager is strictly available for use in and by residents of the UK, Isle of Man and Channel Islands only.

The Waiting List Guide on Norwich Union Healthcare’s Personal Health Manager was compiled by Dr Foster, an organisation that provides information and analysis to the professional healthcare community, at its Unit in the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine.

Norwich Union Healthcare commissioned TNS Global to carry out research among 1002 adults aged over 16, between 3 and 5 October 2003.

• Norwich Union Healthcare was founded in 1990 as the healthcare arm of Norwich Union and now provides a range of income protection and private medical insurance products to around 750,000 customers. It is one of the largest providers of income protection and private medical insurance in the UK.
• Norwich Union Healthcare is a member if the General Insurance Standards Council, the Association of British Insurers and the Financial Ombudsman Service.
• Norwich Union is the UK’s largest insurer. It is a leading provider of life, pensions and investment products and one of the leading IFA providers. IFAs provide around 70% of the company’s long-term savings business.
• Norwich Union has strategic alliances with building societies and other leading UK brand names including Tesco Personal Finance and The Royal Bank of Scotland Group.
• Norwich Union’s news releases and a selection of images are available from Aviva's internet press centre at www.aviva.com/media.

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