Urgent case or stable case
It is one box on the referral, and the difference is weeks
On the referral the doctor marks the category: urgent case or stable case. It is one box, but in practice it decides whether you join a waiting list counted in days or in months.
How much difference it really makes
Waiting lists for urgent cases are shorter for two reasons. Far fewer people join them, and the facility is required to handle them outside the normal order. You can see it in the last column: for urgent cases it is much more often possible to be seen right away.
Who decides
Only the doctor who issues the referral, and only on the basis of your health. You cannot ask for it, it cannot be changed at the registration desk, and it has nothing to do with how much of a hurry you are in. If you believe your condition has got worse since the referral was issued, go back to the doctor, because only a doctor can verify that.
What to watch out for when comparing
Urgent and stable cases are two separate waiting lists in the same facility. Always compare the category you have on your referral, otherwise you will see numbers that do not apply to you. In the search, the category switch sits above the results.