Factors Affecting Surgical Delay: A Case Study of One of General Hospital at Jeddah City

This research is a descriptive analytical study investigating the factors affecting surgical delay in the surgical department at one of general (public) hospital at Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia. The research proposes and tests four independent variable factors affecting surgical delay. These factors are- clinical, administrative, hospital capabilities and care givers, while surgical delay is the dependent variable. In order to explore this issue, a quantitative method was used to collect primary data through designing a self-administered questionnaire, which was administered at the hospital. The research targeted the surgical department’s doctors at the hospital, who are the decision makers with regards to surgeries in their specialties; they total 106 doctors, and because of the small number of the research population the total number was taken as the research sample. The research retrieved 91 valid questionnaires (96.46%). Results show that the four factors are significantly important, demonstrating a positive statistical relationship between the four factors and surgical delay. This research recommends activating the clinical coordinators’ position in all surgical departments in turn, to improve the communication channels between all the concerned departments and the patients in order to run out the patients’ appointments and surgery booking. Moreover, it is vital to frame, develop and manage all the surgical waiting lists in all surgical departments for easy access and control.