'Utterly Appalling' Hospital Waiting Times Revealed

Almost 300,000 people are waiting for their first hospital appointment with a consultant, the latest Department of Health statistics have revealed.

The figure marks an increase of 8.5% over the last year, meaning 23,552 more people are now on outpatient waiting lists.

Over 10,000 (3.7%) more patients were still waiting at the end of June 2019 compared with the previous quarter, displaying the continual rise in hospital waiting times.

Targets set for March 2020 aim to see at least 50% of patients wait no longer than nine weeks, with no patient left without an appointment for a year, however almost three quarters (224,130) had been waiting for more than nine months in June.

Over a third (105,450) were also waiting more than 52 weeks, a 1.3% rise on the last quarter.

Alliance Health spokesperson Paula Bradshaw MLA has branded the latest health waiting times as utterly appalling and said health service users are the latest victims of political breakdown.

The figures also displayed a worrying increase in waiting times for medical tests.

"On almost every single measure, waiting times in Northern Ireland are lengthening, to the extent some vital services are in effect not provided at all," the south Belfast MLA said.

"The figures in every area are shocking. The strain caused to patients and carers is causing further harm to people's basic well-being. Meanwhile, those with means are understandably jumping out of the queue altogether and using private providers at a fee, meaning the basic premise of the NHS – that all people should be treated the same regardless of wealth – is being breached."

Ms Bradshaw hit out at Stormont's two biggest parties for allowing health services to decline while the political stalemate continues.

"The health service has already reached the point of fundamentally failing the population, despite the best efforts of those working above and beyond the call of duty within it. But if anyone is looking for the hard decisions to be made, they needn't look to the DUP and Sinn Féin, who are fundamentally incapable of taking on the responsibility of making the tough decisions," Ms Bradshaw concluded.

In a statement released today, the Department of Health attributed the worsening backlog to budget constraints and called for sustained and substantial investment to address the situation.

The statement read: "The Department of Health shares the widespread frustration and concern at NI's hospital waiting times.

"Financial pressures over successive years have created this backlog. With the overall health budget constrained, limited funding has been available from 2014 to suppress waiting time growth.

"The NI health budget continues to face significant pressures. At the same time, there are many competing demands for additional spending across different parts of the health and social care system.

"As the Department has said many times, it cannot spend money it does not have.

"The Department is examining options to facilitate public engagement on budgetary choices. The health service belongs to us all and everyone has a stake in decisions on funding priorities and making the best use of limited resources."



(JG/MH)