Hospital waiting lists continue to fall

The number of people on hospital waiting lists has fallen over the past year, the Department of Health has said.

Figures released today by the Department showed that the number of people waiting for inpatient or day case treatment has decreased by 3,356 from the corresponding quarter last year and now stands at 49,250.

The number of inpatients and day cases waiting for 18 months or more has also decreased by 2,996 compared with last year and now stands at 2,381 – the lowest level since September 1996.

However, the number of inpatients and day cases treated during the quarter was 41,116, an increase of 2,210 compared with the same quarter last year.

Commenting on the figures, Health Minister Angela Smith said: “I welcome the continued progress being made on hospital waiting lists, which are now at their lowest level in five years. Over 3,300 less people are waiting for hospital treatment than at December 2003.

“Significant efforts are being made by hospital staff to treat people as quickly as possible, with over 2,200 more people receiving treatment this quarter compared to the same period last year.”

BMA Northern Ireland Chairman, Dr Brian Patterson, said that the reduction in numbers of people waiting for inpatient treatment, albeit small, was to be welcomed, however, for the 49,250 patients still waiting for hospital treatment he said “it spelt misery”.

"We are not seeing any significant reduction in these still unacceptably high figures for inpatient treatment,” he said.

Dr Patterson paid tribute to local healthcare staff who had “worked hard to improve figures” but said the Government needed to bring in more doctors, nurses, beds and increase hospital support staff “if we are to achieve any significant inroads into improving this completely unacceptable situation”.

(MB/SP)