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Peter Black and South Wales West Liberal DemocratsRepresenting Aberavon, Bridgend, Gower, Neath, Ogmore, Port Talbot, and Swansea |
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NHS waiting times rise for third month in a row
July 29, 2009 12:00 AM
New statistics released by the Welsh Assembly Government show the number of people having to wait more than the maximum times for in-patient, outpatient and day appointments has risen for the third month in a row.
The figures show that in March of this year 157 patients had to wait longer than 14 weeks for an appointment as a day case or inpatient, while 131 had to wait over 22 weeks. By June this had risen to over 2,900 and 329 patients respectively. In March this year 21 patients waited 10-22 weeks for an outpatient appointment, by June this had risen to 3,160, a 150 fold increase. The number waiting over 22 weeks also more than doubled, from 5 to 12.
The government has set standards for maximum waiting times, which are 14 weeks for inpatient or day case treatment and 10 weeks for a first outpatient appointment
Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for Health, Peter Black, said:
"I do not understand why there can be such drastic increases in the number of people waiting for treatment from one month to the next. So much progress was made at the end of the financial year but it is now in danger of being completely wiped out."
"What we are seeing is the effect of a target led health service, determined to push waiting time statistics down by the end of the financial year, but allowing them to slip upwards later on. This is not acceptable. Waiting times should be based on clinical requirements and what it is possible to achieve, not on what point of the financial year someone gets sick."
"What is clear is that improvements are not being sustained across the Welsh health service and that is disturbing. We need long term solutions not short term fixes."
ENDS
Notes: The standards for maximum waiting times are:
14 weeks for inpatient or day case treatment.
10 weeks for a first outpatient appointment (excluding Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services)
16 weeks for anyone referred to Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services to be assessed and any intervention plans required to be initiated.
Source: Statistics for Wales (http://wales.gov.uk/docs/statistics/2009/090729sdr1112009en.pdf?lang=en
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