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06/08/2012
Belfast Waiting List Spike For Joint Operations
The number of people in the Belfast Health Trust waiting for knee and hip operations has nearly doubled in the past two years, according to the BBC.
There are currently more than 1,527 people waiting for knee and hip replacements – in 2010 there were 797.
Under the NHS constitution in England it is a legal right for people to wait no longer than 18 weeks for an operation.
In Northern Ireland however that figure is 36 weeks.
The trust is under tremendous pressure to meet its targets and has allocated an extra £10m to address backlogs in elective care waiting times.
The Department of Health told the BBC: "Long waiting times for appointments are unacceptable and that's why the minister (Edwin Poots) has set targets that people should be seen within acceptable time scales.
"For patients waiting for an outpatient appointment, he expects that at least 50% of patients wait no longer than nine weeks, with no-one waiting for longer than 21 weeks, increasing to 60% by March 2013."
Sue Ramsey, who chairs Stormont's health committee, said: "The questions that the trust need to answer is why has this occurred and what is the strategy to reduce this list."
The increase in numbers waiting has been blamed on a lack of resources in the NHS as well as an ageing population and a rise in obesity.
A spokesman for the Health and Social Care Board was "hopeful that patients in Northern Ireland will wait no longer than 36 weeks for surgery by the end of September of this year".
(NE)
There are currently more than 1,527 people waiting for knee and hip replacements – in 2010 there were 797.
Under the NHS constitution in England it is a legal right for people to wait no longer than 18 weeks for an operation.
In Northern Ireland however that figure is 36 weeks.
The trust is under tremendous pressure to meet its targets and has allocated an extra £10m to address backlogs in elective care waiting times.
The Department of Health told the BBC: "Long waiting times for appointments are unacceptable and that's why the minister (Edwin Poots) has set targets that people should be seen within acceptable time scales.
"For patients waiting for an outpatient appointment, he expects that at least 50% of patients wait no longer than nine weeks, with no-one waiting for longer than 21 weeks, increasing to 60% by March 2013."
Sue Ramsey, who chairs Stormont's health committee, said: "The questions that the trust need to answer is why has this occurred and what is the strategy to reduce this list."
The increase in numbers waiting has been blamed on a lack of resources in the NHS as well as an ageing population and a rise in obesity.
A spokesman for the Health and Social Care Board was "hopeful that patients in Northern Ireland will wait no longer than 36 weeks for surgery by the end of September of this year".
(NE)
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