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Health Minister Gives Hope For Those On Waiting Lists

Monday 4 July 2005

NI Chest Heart & Stroke Association welcomes the statement by the Health Minister, Shaun Woodward, seeking a reduction in waiting times for all patients, to no more than 12 months. This merely brings the situation up to the level, which exists already in England.

NI Chest Heart & Stroke Association welcomes the statement by the Health Minister, Shaun Woodward, seeking a reduction in waiting times for all patients, to no more than 12 months. This merely brings the situation up to the level, which exists already in England.

NICHSA has campaigned for the last 15 years to see a reduction in waiting times for cardiac surgery. In 1992 the time was reduced from 18 months to 12 months. Today the Minister announced that it would be reduced to 6 months. The Association welcomes this.

However, the Association has drawn to the attention of the Minister the fact that those waiting for their first appointment to see a cardiologist are not being treated efficiently. More than 50% of such patients have to wait more than a 3-month target time. It is hoped that the recommendations of the Health Minister will change this situation. Many of those individuals may have serious heart conditions and may encounter a heart attack or other serious coronary event if they are waiting for as long as 12 months.

The Minister’s statement outlines the need for urgent decisions on the structure and systems within the Health Service in Northern Ireland. It is notable that Manchester, with a strategic Health Authority, has been very much better.

These proposals will bring the level of service for health in Northern Ireland up to those in England. NI Chest Heart & Stroke Association wants to see the level of service for the whole of the UK brought up to the same standard as exists in Germany and France. In those countries the total waiting time is no more than 6 weeks, even for a serious operation like cardiac surgery.


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