Health service crisis: Back pain patients waiting more than a year for appointments

The Department of Health revealed that 4,250 of the 7,911 patients who are currently waiting for a spinal assessment have been waiting longer than 52 weeks.

A further 2,502 patients have been waiting between 18 weeks and 52 weeks.

The information was revealed through an Assembly question by the Ulster Unionist Party, who had previously revealed back in May the current waiting times were 110 weeks for new patients.

The party’s health spokesperson Jo-Anne Dobson said: “Back pain can be incredibly debilitating. It is absolutely appalling that so many people are having to wait so long for essential spinal appointments as delays in spinal treatment can directly lead to patients coming to harm as chronicity often increases.

“These figures further illustrate the sheer unprecedented scale of the crisis affecting our local health service.

“The simple reality is that the current capacity in the Musgrave Park Hospital spinal service does not meet the demand for services. Until the minister and the Executive recognises this, the situation will inevitably worsen.”

The MLA added: “The latest revelation that over half of the total number of patients on the waiting list, have been on it for over a year would suggest that the plight of those people with severe spinal pain has further deteriorated.

“The only support being offered by the local health service to people finding themselves trapped on this list is often a bland encouragement to attend their GP for ‘ongoing pain management’.

“Setting aside the fact it appears the NHS is now prepared to tolerate pain, rather than treating it, it is ridiculous that patients are being referred to general practice – where there is also an unparalleled crisis in terms of demand.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Health said: “The minister is well aware of these figures released by the department. She has said many times that tackling long waiting times is one of her top priorities, and she understands the worry and stress that it causes for patients and their families.

“Long waiting times are a product of the increased pressure on our health service, demand is growing due to an ageing population; emergence of new technologies and changing practice in healthcare. The long term solution is the transformation set out in Delivering Together. We need to move to a population health model and we need to create a more sustainable service – one that makes the best use of the resources we have to deliver the best possible service to patients.

“However, this future model cannot succeed if it inherits the waiting lists that we have currently. All efforts are being made to address this serious issue. Despite significant financial pressures across the health and social care sector the minister has already said that she has identified £4million to invest in elective care over the next number of months.”