The Department of Health yesterday announced plans for expert groups to carry out “interventions” in five hospitals around the country after figures were published showing significant leaps in patients’ waiting times since the beginning of the year.
Figures published by the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) show the number of patients waiting longer than six months for hospital treatment has nearly doubled since the end of last year. The NTPF has been responsible for the collection, collation and publication of inpatient and day-case waiting lists since 2005.
Between the end of December and the end of April the number of patients waiting longer than six months for hospital treatment jumped from 6,038 to 11,348 – a rise of 88 per cent. The number of patients waiting longer than 12 months for treatment has climbed from 36 at the end of last year to 653 at the end of April. A Department of Health spokesman last night said these figures were of “most concern” to Minister for Health James Reilly.
Patients waiting between nine and 12 months for treatment have increased from 71 to 3,062 for the same period. The figures also show that the numbers waiting between six and nine months has risen from 5,931 to 7,633.
Average waiting time
The total number of patients awaiting treatment has increased from 44,047 to 47,943 in four months. The average waiting time for treatment now stands at three months, compared with 2.5 months at the end of 2012.
The department spokesman acknowledged that it was “under pressure” with regard to the figures – but said it is putting in motion a “national intervention strategy” to combat the problem.
The intervention strategy has been allocated funding of €18 million, he said, and will involve “pretty rigorous work” with five hospitals that account for approximately 70 per cent of the people waiting more than 12 months for treatment.
These are the Mater hospital, Galway University Hospital, the Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Beaumont Hospital and Cork University Hospital.
'Seasonal' issues
The spokesman said the increase in waiting times since the turn of the year could be attributed to "seasonal" issues that put extra pressure on emergency departments.
“By virtue of the weather conditions you have increased numbers of people attending emergency departments. In the first part of this year, there were higher than normal attendances and higher than normal admissions into our hospitals.
“That influx of people into emergency departments naturally has an effect on elective work – and so that area has slowed down and the list has increased because of the seasonal factors and extra admissions that we’ve had this year.”
He said the “intervention fund” will tackle the elective waiting lists, outpatients and people on trolleys.
There will be teams of between five and 10 experts – some of whom will come from the Special Delivery Unit and the NTPF – who will enter the five hospitals this week for day-long “interventions”.
They are to analyse the problem before devising a plan with the chief executive of the hospital on that day. They will return two weeks later to monitor the plan and assess whether it needs to be adjusted. It will be monitored weekly thereafter.
The current target for waiting times is that no adult patient should wait more than eight months for inpatient or day-case treatment before the end of 2013.
