Tough measures to cut waiting lists

HOSPITALS who fail to clear their lists of patients waiting over a year for procedures will have funding pulled, Health Minister James Reilly announced.

He also claimed new evidence was emerging that the ‘winter surge’ in hospitals was occurring not because of more demand for treatment but partly because of disorganised management and staff taking holidays.

Speaking at the MacGill summer school in Donegal, the minister announced tough measures to get hospitals to reduce their long term waiting lists.

“We’re sending out a message to hospitals that they must clear their waiting lists of people who have been on a waiting list longer than 12 months by the end of this year.

“If they don’t we will provide funding for that to happen and we will deduct that funding from that hospitals budget.

“I acknowledge that hospitals are finding it difficult to live within their budgets because historically they’ve failed to do so knowing they’d be bailed out. That’s not going to happen anymore.”

It was not fair to leave patients on waiting lists for 12 months, 18 months and two years, he said.

His spokesman last night said some 1,800 patients, mainly in five hospitals, were waiting for procedures longer than 12 months.

The minister added:

“What’s been happening to date is that people are appearing on waiting lists but they’re not being dealt with in chronological order.”

“It is about treating people on lists and not leaving some just languishing there and expecting the NTPF (the National Treatment purchase Fund) to come and pick up the tab. There’s an element of that going on.”

The lists include those waiting for elective procedures and not for emergency procedures.

“An analysis that we have done shows that some lists have just been left languishing there for years,” he added.

Research is being carried out by the new Special Delivery Unit under Dr Martin Connor looking at waiting times.

The Minister also claimed delays during the winter in hospitals could be partly blamed on bad management as well as staff taking holidays.

“The analysis reveals that it isn’t an increase in demand at all, that in fact it’s a fall off in the capacity of the hospital to deal with patients.

“It would appear to be a disorganised return to work after the holiday period which is leading to a cancellation of operations and exasperating the situation. ”

“The number of people coming in January isn’t unusually different to February, March or April. This is an organisational issue.”