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06/12/2001
Health services are under pressure all year round
The Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety Bairbre de Brún has acknowledged that the health service in Northern Ireland is under severe pressure.
The minister’s comments come in the wake of the latest waiting list figures for September 2001, which were released on Thursday December 6. The figures show the number of patients waiting to be admitted to hospitals in Northern Ireland at the end of September stood at just over 56,700. Over the year the total number waiting increased by 6,529 in comparison for the same period last year.
Responding to the statistics, Ms de Brún said problems in the current health service stemmed from “chronic under-funding in the past.”
She said: “Our hospitals and community services are now under pressure all year round. Hospitals are generally operating with occupancy levels in excess of 80 per cent. Despite, three out of four waiting for either an inpatient procedure or an outpatient appointment are seen within three months.”
Earlier this week, the Minister of Finance and Personnel, Mark Durkan announced additional resources for the Department of Health would amount to £2.65 billion. Mr Durkan also announced an additional £15 million was also being made available in the current year to tackle the rising waiting lists.
Taking the budgetary allocation into consideration however Ms de Brún stressed that positive long-term action was only solution to the waiting list problem. “We need long-term action, supported by the resources and service capacity necessary to bring down waiting lists. I welcome the extra funding that has been made available, but it will be a long haul to remedy the funding failures of the past. I have put in place the necessary framework, but there is still a long way to go.” (AMcE)
The minister’s comments come in the wake of the latest waiting list figures for September 2001, which were released on Thursday December 6. The figures show the number of patients waiting to be admitted to hospitals in Northern Ireland at the end of September stood at just over 56,700. Over the year the total number waiting increased by 6,529 in comparison for the same period last year.
Responding to the statistics, Ms de Brún said problems in the current health service stemmed from “chronic under-funding in the past.”
She said: “Our hospitals and community services are now under pressure all year round. Hospitals are generally operating with occupancy levels in excess of 80 per cent. Despite, three out of four waiting for either an inpatient procedure or an outpatient appointment are seen within three months.”
Earlier this week, the Minister of Finance and Personnel, Mark Durkan announced additional resources for the Department of Health would amount to £2.65 billion. Mr Durkan also announced an additional £15 million was also being made available in the current year to tackle the rising waiting lists.
Taking the budgetary allocation into consideration however Ms de Brún stressed that positive long-term action was only solution to the waiting list problem. “We need long-term action, supported by the resources and service capacity necessary to bring down waiting lists. I welcome the extra funding that has been made available, but it will be a long haul to remedy the funding failures of the past. I have put in place the necessary framework, but there is still a long way to go.” (AMcE)
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Northern Ireland WeatherThis Evening and Tonight:Cloudy and patchy light rain will slowly clear away this evening. Then the rest of the night will be dry with broken cloud. Westerly winds freshening in the early hours. Minimum temperature 6 °C.
