Patient register questioned

THE Comptroller and Auditor General has questioned the reliability of the register of patients waiting for treatment.

The C&AG, John Buckley, said there was scope for improving the Patient Treatment Register so it represented the true numbers of patients awaiting treatment for medical conditions.

His 2009 annual report found that while most public hospitals are adhering to a revised national waiting list policy introduced last December, five hospitals were still not returning data according to the policy guidelines.