The number of patients waiting longest for hospital treatment has been significantly reduced, the Minister for Health and Children, Mr Martin, announced yesterday.
The Minister said hospital waiting lists stood at 22,718 at the end of September 2002. This figure represented an overall decrease of 3,627, or 14 per cent in waiting list numbers relative to the comparable figure for September 2001. It also represented a decrease of 2,132 or 9 per cent on the comparable number for June 2002.
The total number of children waiting for more than six months for in-patient treatment had fallen from 1,576 to 1,201 between June and September, 2002, representing a fall of 375 or 24 per cent.
The number of adults waiting for more than 12 months in the nine target surgical specialities covered by the Waiting List Initiative had fallen from 7,407 to 6,273 between June and September this year, a fall of 1,134 or 15 per cent.
The National Treatment Purchase Fund has launched a new local number for patients on hospital waiting lists who may have queries on their eligibility for treatment. The number is 1890 720 820.