Health Minister today published an
Implementation and Funding Plan for initiatives to tackle
hospital waiting lists.
In line with the Executive's Programme for Government, the
Minister is investing up to £215million this year on addressing
waiting lists.
The funding breaks down into £85m for red flag and time critical
care; £80m for building up capacity to address the long-standing
mismatch with demand; and up to £50m to start tackling the
backlog in care.
The detailed Implementation and Funding Plan sets a series of
priority areas and targeted objectives including:
-
Clearing current four year waits for circa
3,100 patients across Primary hip/ knee, Lap Cholecystectomy,
Tonsillectomies, Hernia Treatment and Colonoscopy.
-
Mega Clinics for an estimated 20,000
additional patients across a number of specialities including
Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics, General Surgery and ENT (Ear, Nose
and Throat).
- Funding specialist procedures for targeted
reductions in waiting times for some 300 patients including Gynae
Mesh, Paediatric Scopes, Paediatric Squints, Paediatric Peg
Tubes, Cleft Lip, and Scoliosis.
-
Endoscopy – commissioning additional
endoscopy sessions and staff recruitment. Additional sessions
to reach 4,743 patients by March next year with a longer term
target of 16,703 additional endoscopy procedures per year.
-
Urology – the expansion of urology specialist
nurses to reduce the reliance on the independent sector and
improve cancer waiting times. Funding for three additional
clinical nurse specialists and two all day inpatient lists per
Trust can provide sufficient capacity to deliver an extra 2,000
procedures per year on an incremental basis.
-
Expansion of Rapid Diagnosis Centres -
Deploying Rapid Diagnosis Centre capacity in South Tyrone and
Whiteabbey Hospitals to support quicker diagnosis of pancreatic
cancer. This is expected to involve 500-600 patients who are
suspected to have pancreatic cancer and is aimed at increasing
survival rates where pancreatic cancer is diagnosed.
-
Ophthalmology - increasing outpatient and
treatment of red flag and time-critical capacity across
Vitreo-Retinal (VR), Corneal, Macular and Glaucoma
sub-specialties.
Publication of the Implementation and Funding Plan follows
confirmation that the new Waiting List Reimbursement Scheme will
commence on Monday, June 2. It will offer eligible patients the
opportunity to reclaim costs for treatments received outside
Northern Ireland.
Health Minister today said: “I have
been clear that tackling hospital waiting lists will take time,
determination and long term large-scale investment.
“The initiatives set out in the Implementation and
Funding Plan will make a real difference to thousands of patients
who have been waiting too long for assessment and
treatment.”
The Implementation and Funding Plan can be read
here: https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/publications/elective-care-framework-restart-recovery-and-redesign
