Most allied health practices in Australia carry a waitlist. The polite fiction is that it is a queue. The reality is that it is a probability cloud — at any moment some fraction of the people on it have moved, found another provider, or no longer need help. The longer the average wait, the bigger the gap between the list and reality.
Set a maximum wait you are honest about
Decide internally what your maximum honest wait time is — the wait beyond which you would tell a referrer to look elsewhere. Most teams we talk to settle on six to eight weeks for non-urgent referrals. Past that, the waitlist starts to lie to you and the people on it.
Confirm interest at the four-week mark
Send a short check-in to anyone who has been on the list for more than four weeks. 'You're still on our list. Are you still looking?' is enough. Half won't reply — that's information. The other half tell you whether you're chasing the right people.
Triage by clinical need, then geography, then plan timing
- Clinical need: urgency, capacity to engage, complexity.
- Geography: someone in your patch you can serve sustainably beats someone two hours away.
- NDIS plan timing: a participant whose plan ends in six weeks needs decision now; one with twelve months ahead can wait.
Audit the list weekly, not monthly
Set a 30-minute Monday slot to clear the Waitlist. Admit who you can. Decline who you can't. Send the four-week check-in to anyone overdue. Without this rhythm, the list grows by referral and shrinks only by attrition; with it, the list reflects the work you actually intend to do.
Be willing to close the list
When the wait gets long enough that you would not honestly recommend joining, close the list. Tell new referrers; tell your network. A closed list rebuilds your reputation faster than a long one. Open it again when you have capacity to honour the queue.