Health Secretary addresses high hospital waiting lists

At a time when waiting lists in Northern Ireland are at an all time high Department of Health Secretary Clive Gowdy, has made an urgent call for resources and staff to make a “sustained effort” to deal with the problem facing Northern Ireland’s hospitals.

With more than 54,000 people currently waiting for admission to hospital, waiting lists in Northern Ireland have risen steadily.

Speaking at a seminar in Dungannon on Wednesday October 31 Mr Gowdy said: “When we look at the issues of waiting lists and waiting times, we must always keep firmly at the forefront of our minds that waiting problems involve sick, anxious and vulnerable people who are the involuntary and unhappy victims of these problems.”

“I am convinced that if we work in a focused and coherent way we can confront and reverse these problems.”

The theme of the seminar, entitled ‘Action on Waiting’, addressed a comprehensive action plan for tackling waiting lists under four main headings: clinical initiatives, management action, service planning and efficiency measures.

Signalling the Department’s determination to ensure that the service is doing all it can to deal with the problem of waiting, Mr Gowdy said: “It is essential that we work collaboratively and that we ensure that everyone who needs to be involved in the process of dealing with waiting is involved. We need strong links between the hospitals and the community, and we need to ensure that GPs and other primary care professionals work closely with their colleagues in hospitals and in the community.”

Mr Gowdy concluded: “This is an opportunity to take stock and to re-commit ourselves to the important task of doing all we can to ensure proper improvement. We owe it to ourselves, we owe it to our staff, but most of all we owe it to the patients who depend on us.” (AMcE)