Hospital waiting lists hit 12-month target

Health Minister Shaun Woodward has today revealed that a target for reducing hospital in-patient waiting lists to 12-month has been met.

Speaking today at Parliament Buildings in Belfast, Mr Woodward said: "Last July 4,000 patients were waiting over 12 months for treatment, of which 800 were waiting over 18 months. Some much longer, up to six years. I said this situation was totally unacceptable.

"I promised that by March 2006 no-one would wait longer than 12 months. I promised that no patient would wait longer than nine months for hip and knee surgery, and no patient would wait longer than six months for cardiac surgery or cataract surgery."

He added that by keeping the promise of cutting waiting list times proved that the government were putting the interest of patients first.

The final confirmation of waiting list figures will be released in June, however the Health Minister is confident that the targets in Northern Ireland have been achieved.

Mr Woodward added: "Given where we have come from since last July when 4000 patients were waiting over 12 months for surgery, many of them languishing on waiting lists for years, this has been a remarkable achievement."

Within hours of announcing the reduction in waiting times to one-year, Health Minister Shaun Woodward then announced his commitment to slashing inpatient and day-case waiting times to just six months, by March 2007.

The Minister said: "Today's new target of a six-month maximum wait by March 2007 is ambitious but necessary if we are to continue my drive to put patients first. Last year, nobody thought I could cut waiting lists from six years to 12 months. But we did it and I am confident that we can do it again."

Mr Woodward concluded by saying that these changes will represent a total transformation in the patient experience in Northern Ireland.

(EF/SP)