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24/04/2008
Operating Theatres Should 'Be Fined'
Much better use can be made of the Province's operating theatres - as, according to an Assembly 'watchdog' £millions are being wasted in unnecessary 'downtime'.
Cancelled operations cost £6.4m in wasted resources, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) insists and has now suggested that hospitals that leave their operating theatres empty unnecessarily should be fined.
Committee members say that, despite improved waiting times for treatment, there is a failure to introduce a computerised management system - which they say has been delayed for two years.
"It is clear to the Committee that in many cases there is a very substantial wastage of resources, and whilst it welcomes the action taken by the Department of Health to reduce cancellations, it is concerned at the continuing relatively high level and disruption to patients' healthcare and recovery," it said.
Surprisingly, the PAC said over a third (36%) of the potential capacity of theatres went unused.
The average cost of a cancelled session was approximately £3,860, with 1,664 called off in 2005/06.
The PAC added: "In cases where improvement has proved difficult to achieve, or where problems are intractable, the committee recommends that the Department of Health considers introducing financial or other penalties."
It accepted that some cancellations were unavoidable, but called for tougher targets to reduce waste.
(BMcC)
Cancelled operations cost £6.4m in wasted resources, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) insists and has now suggested that hospitals that leave their operating theatres empty unnecessarily should be fined.
Committee members say that, despite improved waiting times for treatment, there is a failure to introduce a computerised management system - which they say has been delayed for two years.
"It is clear to the Committee that in many cases there is a very substantial wastage of resources, and whilst it welcomes the action taken by the Department of Health to reduce cancellations, it is concerned at the continuing relatively high level and disruption to patients' healthcare and recovery," it said.
Surprisingly, the PAC said over a third (36%) of the potential capacity of theatres went unused.
The average cost of a cancelled session was approximately £3,860, with 1,664 called off in 2005/06.
The PAC added: "In cases where improvement has proved difficult to achieve, or where problems are intractable, the committee recommends that the Department of Health considers introducing financial or other penalties."
It accepted that some cancellations were unavoidable, but called for tougher targets to reduce waste.
(BMcC)
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