04/09/2003
NI hospital waiting lists fall
Health Minister, Angela Smith has welcomed the news that hospital inpatient waiting lists have fallen for the third quarter in succession.
Figures by the Department of Health revealed that around 55,500 people were waiting for treatment for the period April to June 2003 - a drop of more than 7% in the last year.
However, there are still longer delays for patients in Northern Ireland than in any other part of the UK.
Commenting on the figures, the Minister said: “I am pleased that inpatient numbers have fallen for the third quarter in succession, but the fall is only a small one and we must continue our efforts to reduce both the number of people waiting and the time they are having to wait.
"I am disappointed that outpatient numbers have risen during this quarter, yet 72% of patients seen during the quarter had their first appointment in less than three months, with 97% being seen within twelve months."
The British Medical Association in Northern Ireland was less enthusiastic about the figures. Maurice Dunlop, Chairman of the BMA's NI Council, said: "The additional funding for waiting lists, made available over the past months, was very welcome but unless we have more doctors, more nurses, more support staff and more beds in the NHS we are not going to make any real headway in tackling this serious problem."
Outlining the way forward Angela Smith said more money was needed to tackle the waiting list problem but that a concerted and intensified effort was needed by her department to continue to make advancements in dealing with the problem.
(MB)
Figures by the Department of Health revealed that around 55,500 people were waiting for treatment for the period April to June 2003 - a drop of more than 7% in the last year.
However, there are still longer delays for patients in Northern Ireland than in any other part of the UK.
Commenting on the figures, the Minister said: “I am pleased that inpatient numbers have fallen for the third quarter in succession, but the fall is only a small one and we must continue our efforts to reduce both the number of people waiting and the time they are having to wait.
"I am disappointed that outpatient numbers have risen during this quarter, yet 72% of patients seen during the quarter had their first appointment in less than three months, with 97% being seen within twelve months."
The British Medical Association in Northern Ireland was less enthusiastic about the figures. Maurice Dunlop, Chairman of the BMA's NI Council, said: "The additional funding for waiting lists, made available over the past months, was very welcome but unless we have more doctors, more nurses, more support staff and more beds in the NHS we are not going to make any real headway in tackling this serious problem."
Outlining the way forward Angela Smith said more money was needed to tackle the waiting list problem but that a concerted and intensified effort was needed by her department to continue to make advancements in dealing with the problem.
(MB)
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Hospital waiting lists have risen by almost 3,500 in the past year – leaving Northern Ireland trailing behind its UK counterparts – according to statistics contained in the health department's quarterly review of waiting lists.
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07 December 2006
Hospital waiting lists continue to fall
Waiting times for surgery and outpatient appointments have continued to decrease according to the latest quarterly statistics. The number of people waiting more than six months for surgery at the end of September 2006 fell to 3,786, a drop of 1,358, down 26.4% compared to the previous quarter.
Hospital waiting lists continue to fall
Waiting times for surgery and outpatient appointments have continued to decrease according to the latest quarterly statistics. The number of people waiting more than six months for surgery at the end of September 2006 fell to 3,786, a drop of 1,358, down 26.4% compared to the previous quarter.
03 June 2025
New £10m Waiting List Reimbursement Scheme Now Live
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has welcomed the opening of the new Waiting List Reimbursement Scheme, a £10 million investment designed to address Northern Ireland's extensive hospital waiting lists. The scheme, which went live on June 2, 2025, offers eligible patients the opportunity to reclaim costs for treatments received outside Northern Ireland.
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03 June 2021
Call For Funding Response To Hospital Waiting List Crisis
NI's Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon is urging the Finance Minister to bring forward funding options to help with the current crisis in hospital waiting lists. The SDLP Minister is to propose that the Finance Minister bring forward options for funding a response to the current hospital waiting list crisis.
Call For Funding Response To Hospital Waiting List Crisis
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28 May 2021
Call For Urgent Meeting To Address Waiting List Crisis
The SDLP is calling for an urgent meeting with the Finance and Health Ministers after further details of the extent of the waiting list crisis have been published. MLAs Cara Hunter and Matthew O'Toole said that this is the biggest crisis facing people in Northern Ireland and it must be the most urgent priority for political leaders.
Call For Urgent Meeting To Address Waiting List Crisis
The SDLP is calling for an urgent meeting with the Finance and Health Ministers after further details of the extent of the waiting list crisis have been published. MLAs Cara Hunter and Matthew O'Toole said that this is the biggest crisis facing people in Northern Ireland and it must be the most urgent priority for political leaders.
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:A sunny but frosty start for many. However cloud increases by midday with a few showers reaching the north coast, these mostly light but spreading inland this afternoon. Chilly. Maximum temperature 8 °C.Tonight:A rather cloudy evening with scattered showers. Becoming drier through the night with some good clear spells developing and a patchy frost away from coasts. Minimum temperature 0 °C.