The three-day virtual study group Modelling Solutions to the Impact of COVID-19 on Cardiovascular Waiting Lists was convened by the Newton Gateway in February 2021 on behalf of the Virtual Forum for Knowledge Exchange in the Mathematical Sciences (V-KEMS). It brought together clinicians and mathematicians to explore if and how mathematical models could be used to provide insights and solutions to the problem of prolonged waiting lists for cardiovascular conditions.

The ultimate aim is to develop a tool that can help clinicians and managers at a local level to plan care, while reducing waiting lists. To that end, researchers after the workshop have already developed a systems dynamics model, fitted to data obtained from NHS Digital, with help from the NHS Strategy Unit and the British Heart Foundation. This has led to a group of Computer Science MSc students at the University of Bristol being tasked with creating a prototype software tool.