Waiting lists: Number of people waiting for first hospital appointment in NI soars to 327,000

The latest figures from the Department of Health deal with the position at September 30, when the health system was dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.

The statistics show that the total waiting for a first consultant-led outpatient appointment has soared by 5.6% from the end of June, from 309,921 to 327,189. The figure at the end of September last year was 306,175.

The report said an additional 2,049 patients were waiting for their first consultant-led outpatient appointment at a Day Case Procedure Centre (DPC) for cataract treatment.

Over four fifths (277,776) of patients were waiting more than nine weeks for a first consultant-led outpatient appointment.

Almost half (155,497) of patients were waiting more than 52 weeks for a first consultant-led outpatient appointment.

The 2020/21 Ministerial target, for inpatient and day case waiting times, states that by March 2021, 55% of patients should wait no longer than 13 weeks for inpatient or day case treatment, with no patient waiting longer than 52 weeks.

A total of 99,718 patients were waiting to be admitted to hospitals in Northern Ireland, 2.5% (2,475) more than at 30 June 2020 (97,243), and 14.2% (12,365) more than at 30 September 2019 (87,353).

An additional 3,708 patients were waiting for treatment at a Day Case Procedure Centre (DPC); 961 patients were waiting to be admitted to a Varicose Veins DPC, with a further 2,747 patients waiting to be admitted to a Cataracts DPC.

Over four fifths (83.6%, 83,381) of patients were waiting more than 13 weeks to be admitted for treatment, compared with 88.8% (86,337) at 30 June 2020 and 69.6% (60,809) at 30 September 2019.

Almost half (46.5%, 46,417) of patients were waiting more than 52 weeks for either an inpatient or day case admission, compared with 39.4% (38,354) at 30 June 2020, and 28.9% (25,274) at 30 September 2019.

During the quarter ending September 2020, 25,654 patients received inpatient and day case treatment, 74.8% (10,978) more than during the quarter ending June 2020 (14,676) and 39.6% (16,842) fewer than during the quarter ending September 2019 (45,188).

Waiting Times for a Diagnostic Service

The 2020/21 Ministerial target for diagnostic waiting times states that, by March 2021, 75% of patients should wait no longer than nine weeks for a diagnostic test, with no patient waiting longer than 26 weeks.

A total of 160,663 patients were waiting for a diagnostic service, 7.5% (11,260) more than at 30 June 2020 (149,403) and 14.6% (20,426) more than at 30 September 2019 (140,237).

Almost two-thirds (65.4%, 105,085) of patients were waiting longer than nine weeks for a diagnostic test, compared with 73.8% (110,225) at 30 June 2020 and 56.9% (79,842) at 30 September 2019

Almost half (44.8%, 71,968) of patients were waiting more than 26 weeks for a diagnostic test compared with 35.1% (52,393) at 30 June 2020 and 30.3% (42,546) at 30 September 2019 .

Diagnostic Reporting Turnaround Times

The draft 2020/21 Ministerial target for diagnostic reporting times states that, by March 2021, all urgent diagnostic tests should be reported on within two days of the test being undertaken.

A total of 341,934 diagnostic tests were reported on and dispatched to the referring clinician at hospitals in Northern Ireland during the quarter ending September 2020, 45.5% (106,915) more than the quarter ending June 2020 (235,019), and 21.2% (92,073) fewer than the quarter ending September 2019 (434,007).

Of the 69,134 urgent diagnostic tests reported on, 86.2% (59,577) were reported on within two days.

The Western HSC Trust reported the highest proportion of urgent tests within two days (91.8%), with the other HSC Trusts reporting between 83.3% and 85.6% of urgent tests within two days.

Notes to editors:

1. All publications are available on the Department’s website at: https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/topics/dhssps-statistics-and-research/hospital-waiting-times-statistics

2. About the data

The sources for the data contained in this release are Departmental Information Returns, and the DoH Inpatient and Outpatient Waiting Times Datasets. These returns collect information from HSC Trusts and the Health and Social Care Board on a quarterly basis.

Figures will also include privately funded patients waiting to be seen/for treatment in Health Service hospitals and those patients who are resident outside Northern Ireland.

Data incorporate all returns and amendments received from HSC Trusts up to 23 November 2020.

3. Outpatient definitions

An outpatient appointment is an appointment to enable a patient to see a consultant, a member of their team or a locum for such a member, in respect of one referral.

The waiting list figures include all outpatients who have not had their first appointments by the end of the quarter including those who have cancelled or missed a previous appointment.

The outpatient waiting list figures presented do not include maternity specialties 501 (Obstetrics), 510 (Obstetrics (Ante Natal)) and 520 (Obstetrics (Post Natal)).

Patients waiting for cataract treatment (Ophthalmology) can now be seen at a Day Case Procedure Centre at Mid-Ulster hospital.

4. Inpatient and Day Case definitions

Inpatient admissions include both (a) patients admitted electively with the expectation that they will remain in hospital for at least one night, and (b) non-elective admissions (e.g. emergency admissions). A patient who is admitted with either of the above intentions, but who leaves hospital for any reason without staying overnight, is still counted as an ordinary admission. The figures in this statistics release only include non-emergency admissions.

Day Cases are patients admitted electively during the course of a day with the intention of receiving care who do not require the use of a hospital bed overnight and who return home as scheduled. If this original intention is not fulfilled and the patient stays overnight, such a patient is counted as an ordinary admission.

The waiting list figures presented include people waiting to be admitted as inpatients either as day cases or inpatient admissions. They do not include:

Patients admitted as emergency cases;

Outpatients;

Patients undergoing a planned programme of treatment e.g. a series of admissions for chemotherapy;

Maternity (specialties 510 and 520);

Patients currently receiving inpatient treatment in hospitals but who are included on other waiting lists;

Patients who are temporarily suspended from waiting lists.

5. Diagnostic Service definitions

A diagnostic service provides an examination, test or procedure used to identify a person’s disease or condition and which allows a medical diagnosis to be made.

The diagnostic waiting list figures presented include people waiting for a test with a diagnostic element including tests that are part diagnostic and subsequently part therapeutic. They do not include:

Patients currently admitted to a hospital bed and waiting for an emergency procedure;

Purely therapeutic procedures. A therapeutic procedure is defined as a procedure which involves actual treatment of a person’s disease, condition or injury;

Patients undergoing a planned programme of tests;

Patients waiting for procedures as part of a screening programme.

6, Diagnostic Reporting Times definitions

The diagnostic reporting turnaround time is the length of time between the diagnostic test being undertaken and the results being verified and dispatched to the referring clinician.

Diagnostic reporting times apply to a selected subset of diagnostic services. These services are: Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Computerised Tomography; Non-Obstetric Ultrasound; Plain Film X-rays; Barium Studies; DEXA Scan; Radionuclide Imaging; Pure Tone Audiometry; Echocardiography; Perfusion Studies; Peripheral Neurophysiology; Sleep Studies; and Urodynamics Pressures and Flows.

7. This information was collated by Hospital Information Branch, DoH.