Waiting lists still growing, NTPF report reveals

THERE are almost 30,000 people waiting for surgery, up by 2,200 since the last comparable figures in 2003.

More than 6,500 patients are waiting longer than six months for surgery, despite a Government scheme set up with a fanfare three years ago to cut backlogs.

Figures published yesterday by the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) suggest that there are 29,400 people on waiting lists for elective treatment, compared to 27,200 when waiting list figures were last published in September 2003.

The NTPF figures show that 11,250 people are waiting longer than three months for treatment in 19 of the country’s 34 public hospitals. One-in-four are waiting longer than six months for treatment.

Since it was established in July 2002, the NTPF has been able to arrange treatment for about 43,000 patients.

The Irish Hospital Consultants’ Association (IHCA) said the NTPF report highlighted in stark fashion that more hospital beds were needed.

For every one of the patients on trolleys yesterday, there were a further 124 awaiting admission to hospital for elective surgery, the IHCA said.

NTPF chief executive Pat O’Byrne insisted yesterday that their newly extended online information system should ensure that no patient was waiting longer than three months for surgery. It should also influence referral patterns.

He said letters would be sent out to more than 11,000 patients who have been waiting over three months for a surgical procedure.

The patient treatment register now accounts for 19 of the country’s hospitals but will have information on waiting lists on all hospitals by the end of the year.

Mr O’Byrne was concerned, however, at the revelation in the patient treatment register that five hospitals had more than 200 patients each who had been waiting longer than 12 months for surgery.

The five hospitals are Beaumont Hospital, St Vincent’s Hospital, Cappagh Orthopaedic Hospital in Dublin and Cork University Hospital and the Mercy Hospital in Cork.

“There are problems with cooperation with some consultants. There is no doubt about that,” he said.

He pointed out referrals from CUH were very low when compared to hospitals of a similar size. “It boils down to cooperation as far as I am concerned,” said Mr O’Byrne, who intends raising the matter with both the hospitals and the Health Service Executive (HSE).

Labour Party deputy leader and health spokeswoman Liz McManus said in light of the figures, the Government must look again at the wisdom of diverting millions of euro in taxpayers’ money into private hospitals.

“While I accept that many individual patients have been able to avail of treatment offered by the NTPF, there is a need to look again at the wisdom of diverting hundreds of millions of euro of taxpayers’ money into the pockets and bank accounts of private hospitals rather than investing the money in the public hospital service,” said Ms McManus.

Irish Patients’ Association chairman Stephen McMahon urged consultants to cooperate with the NTPF. “This is a fundamental question about the quality of life for patients that have been affected by these long waits,” he said.

He also urged patients waiting longer than three months for treatment to contact the NTPF at 1890-720820 if they had not already done so.