Use Case

Reducing Waiting Lists in Mental Health Services

Understand where demand is building and how to reduce backlogs sustainably.

Mental health services were facing sustained demand growth, with waiting lists increasing and limited visibility of where delays occurred.

Discuss This Use Case

The Scenario

A community mental health / CAMHS service was experiencing long waiting times, increasing referrals and pressure to meet access targets. However, there was limited understanding of pathway flow, capacity constraints and where bottlenecks were occurring.

The Challenge

Lack of visibility across pathways, unclear drivers of waiting lists, and difficulty linking demand to workforce capacity.

Our Approach

Benson mapped referral pathways, analysed activity and modelled demand against capacity to identify bottlenecks and improvement opportunities.

What We Did

1. Pathway Mapping

Mapped referral-to-treatment pathways and activity flows.

2. Waiting List Analysis

Segmented waiting lists to identify drivers of backlog.

3. Capacity Modelling

Modelled workforce and activity to test improvement scenarios.

Outcomes

Reduced waiting list growth trajectory
Clear identification of pathway bottlenecks
Improved flow through services
Evidence-based case for investment and redesign

Apply this approach to your service

Move from reactive backlog management to structured, sustainable improvement.

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