Skip Navigation
RSS

News

Waiting List Cuts “Not Enough”

Monday 3 April 2006

People in Northern Ireland are still being treated as second class citizens compared with the rest of the UK when it comes to health care, despite a reduction in waiting lists, says a leading medical charity.

People in Northern Ireland are still being treated as second class citizens compared with the rest of the UK when it comes to health care, despite a reduction in waiting lists, says a leading medical charity.

NI Chest, Heart and Stroke says that waiting lists here still compare badly to those across the water, and that extra money is not achieving the expected results in terms of patient care.

The charity’s Chief Executive, Andrew Dougal, said: “We welcome the reduction in the number of people waiting more than a year for treatment, but even waiting a year is simply not good enough. If, for example, you have a heart condition but need a knee operation, the heart complaint could be made worse by a lack of mobility.

“It took 14 years for successive governments to cut the waiting list for cardiac surgery to six months – yet people in France would be horrified if they had to wait more than six weeks. Even compared with the rest of the UK, Northern Ireland still has a long way to go before it is being treated equally. “

However, I must state that this Minister means business. He and his officials are delivering. NI Chest Heart & Stroke will remain vigilant to ensure that this continues.

The Chancellor’s guru on Health Service efficiency and effectiveness, Sir Derek Wanless, has pointed out that much of the extra money being pumped into the NHS has been soaked up by new contracts for GPs and consultants. Mr Dougal called for a new system for monitoring NHS performance in Northern Ireland.

Ends

[BACK TO TOP]