ABSTRACT
A simulation is being developed to provide health planners with information about the effects of different treatment strategies and programmes on the increasing numbers of patients using hospi tal out-patient services at Watford General Hospital. As simulation itself provides no methods of identifying activities within a system, soft systems methodology (SSM) is being used for this purpose. This paper is concerned with the hypotheses that simulation can be developed through the use of SSM and that the acceptability of the final model may be increased through the partici pative nature of SSM.
