Mar 3 2005
Commenting on the release today of the DHSSPS's NHS waiting list figures, BMA(NI) Chairman, Dr Brian Patterson, said that the reduction in numbers of people waiting for inpatient treatment, albeit small, was to be welcomed and paid tribute to the doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff who have worked hard to achieve this.
However, Dr Patterson said that for the 49,250 patients still waiting for hospital treatment it spelt misery. "We are not seeing any significant reduction in these still unacceptably high figures for inpatient treatment.
"In addition we have over 160,000 people who are waiting for an appointment to see a consultant and this figure reflects a rise of 11.6% over the past year. If these patients had seen a consultant and even half of them had been referred for inpatient treatment then we would be looking at an inpatient waiting list figure of over 130,000. This is quite shocking.
"We need to see a significant improvement in, and modernisation of, our hospital infrastructure if we are to make any real headway in the provision of a proper healthcare system here. The urgent and essential need for more doctors, more nurses, more beds and an increase in hospital support staff must be met if we are to achieve any significant inroads into improving this completely unacceptable situation."
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