MINI CASE 6.2
As we have seen, there is more than one average and this case illustrates the use of the median in survey reports.
Over the last decade past and present UK Governments have had numerous policy objectives to revise the National Health Service (NHS) operations. One of these policies has been directed at reducing waiting times, now termed 'referral to treatment waiting times' (RTT). The NHS responded with the aim of ensuring that by 2008 'no one will wait longer than 18 weeks from GP referral to hospital treatment. Most will be treated more quickly'. (NHS Improvement Plan (June 2004)). The Department of Health (DH) publish an annual report based on monthly RTT data provided by NHS funded consultant led service providers. A table from the 2010 report is shown below:
