UL Hospitals Group meets targets on inpatient and day case waiting lists
UL HOSPITALS Group said it has met its targets for inpatient, day case and endoscopy as set out in the National Waiting List Action Plan 2022.
The national target for outpatient waiting lists has not been achieved; however considerable progress has been made this year in reducing the numbers waiting for appointments.
The €350 million national plan set out that 98% of patients waiting for an inpatient or day case procedure should be treated within 12 months and that 100% of patients waiting for their first gastrointestinal scope (GI scope) should be treated within 12 months.
These targets have been met across the six hospitals at UL Hospitals Group, they said.
The total number of patients waiting for inpatient or day case procedures has reduced from 8,229 in January 2022 to 5,873 on December 8, a decrease of 29%. The number of patients waiting longer than 12 months for their inpatient or day case procedures has reduced over that time from 2,342 patients to zero.
The number of patients waiting longer than 13 weeks for endoscopy has reduced from 2,392 patients in January to less than 100 today and all patients are being offered their appointment within the 12 month target set out in the national plan. There are no patients waiting longer than the target 28 days for an urgent GI scope.
Under the national plan, the target for outpatients is that 98% will be seen within 18 months.
At UL Hospitals Group, the total number of patients waiting for an outpatient appointment has reduced from 55,350 in January to 44,160 by December 8, a decrease of 20%.
Those waiting longer than 18 months for their first appointment have reduced from 20,449 to 11,902, a total reduction of 58%.
We have succeeded in reducing waiting lists this year, despite seeing higher emergency admissions than ever. That said, we accept our patients still wait too long for appointments and procedures and we are striving to improve this, they said.
They added: "To meet the Action Plan targets, we have used private, virtual and extra out-of-hours clinics. We have also streamlined processes to make the most of valuable consultation time for patients."
Prof Colette Cowan, CEO, UL Hospitals Group, said: “Widespread reductions in scheduled care during the COVID-19 pandemic were a necessary part of the national emergency response but we also know these decisions increased distress for far too many patients who were already facing excessive waiting times.
"I commend the teams at UL Hospitals Group who have worked so hard this year to reduce our waiting lists and who have so ably used the various programmes under the government plan to meet key national targets."