Praise for reduction in waiting lists (From Western Telegraph)

Praise for reduction in waiting lists

Withybush hospital has been praised for reducing patient waiting times in a recent visit by National Assembly deputy health minister, Dr Brian Gibbons.

Dr Gibbons said: Im doing this visit as part of the National Assemblys new policy on improving waiting times in the NHS.

We are looking at the length of time the people are waiting rather than the number of people on the lists.

The length of time people wait is more important to the patient and also more important in medical terms.

I am very, very impressed by the progress that has been made in reducing the length of time people are waiting at Withybush.

Most out-patients will have their operation within six months. Only 10% of in-patients are waiting more than 12 months. This is very good compared to national figures.

He continued: The hospital and social services are working together very well and that means that people can be discharged to home care or nursing care more effectively than in some other parts of Wales.

With care at home schemes people can get good home care support from good nursing services. Over 300 people in the area have benefited from this in the past year.

Figures for July show that in the Pembrokeshire and Derwen NHS Trust area, 290 out of 2,813 (roughly 10%) of in-patients are waiting more than 12 months for treatment. Out of 4,306 out-patients, 528 (roughly 12%) are waiting more than six months for treatment.

Figures for all of Wales show that almost 14% of in-patients are waiting longer than 12 months while almost 28% of out-patients are waiting longer than six months.