New figures show that the Department of Health has missed its own waiting list targets.
At the end of June, almost 86,000 patients had been waiting for more than 18 weeks for a first outpatient appointment. The target is for nobody to wait longer than that. The number of people waiting for a first appointment has risen by more than 45%.
The quarterly figures from the health department for April to June of this year revealed an 11% rise in patients waiting for a first outpatient appointment. That means more than 212,000 people have been referred to a specialist or consultant by their GP but have yet to be seen. Of those, the number of patients waiting longer – more than 18 weeks – increased by over 45% to nearly 86,000. The number of people waiting for diagnostic services, which can include a test for a potentially fatal illness, increased by nearly 12% from March to June.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-34082381
Filed under: A&E, Hospital, A&E, Department of Health, outpatients, waiting list
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