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Publication of the June 2010 Northern Ireland waiting list statistics release

Thursday, 2 September 2010

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety today published the June 2010 Northern Ireland Waiting List Statistics Release.

The Waiting List Statistics Release shows detailed information on the number of people waiting for a first outpatient appointment, a diagnostic test or inpatient treatment at hospitals in Northern Ireland.

Key facts and figures for NI Waiting Times at end of June 2010

Waiting Times for a First Outpatient Appointment

  • The 2010/11 Ministerial target relating to outpatient waiting times states that by 31st March 2011, no patient should wait longer than nine weeks for a first outpatient appointment.

Overall

  • The total number of people waiting for a first outpatient appointment at the end of June 2010 was 110,220.
  • This represented an increase of 23,719 (27.4%) on the number waiting at the end of March 2010 (86,501) and an increase of 36,233 (49.0%) on the number waiting at the same time last year (73,987).

Patients waiting over nine weeks

  • At the end of June 2010, there were 29,149 (26.4%) patients waiting more than nine weeks for a first outpatient appointment, of which 15,246 were waiting more than 13 weeks. The number of patients waiting longer than nine weeks represented an increase of 20,568 on the figure for the previous quarter (8,581), and was up 28,035 on the corresponding quarter in 2009 (1,114).

Completed Outpatient Waits for a First Appointment (including those who failed to attend or who were deferred)

  • A total of 119,286 patients attended a first outpatient appointment during the June 2010 quarter, a decrease of 14,317 (-10.7%) on the quarter ending March 2010 (133,603) and down 16,524 (-12.2%) on the quarter ending June 2009 (135,810). These figures include all activity commissioned by the Health Service in Health and Social Care hospitals and also include outpatient activity, commissioned by the Health Service, which is undertaken by the independent sector at locations other than Health and Social Care hospitals.

Waiting Times for First Appointment at an Integrated Clinical Assessment and Treatment Service (ICATS)

  • The 2010/11 Ministerial target relating to ICATS waiting times states that by 31 March 2011, no patient should wait longer than nine weeks for a first appointment at ICATS.

Overall

  • The total number of people waiting for a first ICATS appointment at the end of June 2010 was 6,344. This is the first quarter for which ICATS waiting times have been available; therefore comparisons with previous quarters are unavailable.

Patients waiting over nine weeks

  • At the end of June 2010, there were 552 patients waiting longer than nine weeks for a first appointment at ICATS.

Waiting Times for a Diagnostic Service

  • The 2010/11 Ministerial target relating to diagnostic services states that by 31 March 2011, no patient should wait longer than nine weeks for a diagnostic test (the majority of patients waiting for a day case endoscopy should wait no longer than 13 weeks, with no patient waiting longer than 36 weeks).

Overall

  • The total number of patients waiting at the end of June 2010 for a diagnostic service was 59,575, an increase of 11,204 (23.2%) on the previous quarter (48,371).

Patients waiting over nine weeks

  • At the end of June 2010, there were 4,932 patients waiting over nine weeks for a diagnostic service. This represented an increase of 4,108 on the number waiting more than nine weeks at the end of March 2010 (824).

Patients waiting over 13 weeks for a day case endoscopy

  • At the end of June 2010, there were 3,105 patients waiting over 13 weeks for a day case endoscopy. This represented an increase of 2,242 on the number waiting more than 13 weeks at the end of March 2010 (863).

Waiting Times for Inpatient Admission

  • The 2010/11 Ministerial target relating to inpatient waiting times states that by 31 March 2011, the majority of patients should wait no longer than 13 weeks for inpatient admission, with no patient waiting longer than 36 weeks for admission.

Overall

  • The total number of patients waiting for treatment at the end of June 2010 was 40,875.
  • This total has increased by 4,834 (13.4%) compared with the previous quarter (36,041), and has increased by 8,485 (26.2%) compared with the same quarter in the previous year (32,390).

Patients waiting over 13 weeks

  • At the end of June 2010, there were 9,579 (23.4%) patients waiting more than 13 weeks for inpatient treatment. This number represented an increase of 6,327 on the figure for the previous quarter (3,252), and was up 8,462 on the number waiting over 13 weeks at the end of June 2009 (1,117).

Patients waiting over 36 weeks

  • There were 142 patients waiting longer than 36 weeks for inpatient admission at the end of June 2010.

Completed Inpatient Waits (including those who failed to attend or who were deferred)

  • A total of 45,617 inpatients were admitted to hospital, following an inpatient wait, during the June 2010 quarter. This was a fall of 6,023 (-11.7%) on the quarter ending March 2010 (51,640) and down 8,431 (-15.6%) on the quarter ending June 2009 (54,048). These figures include all activity commissioned by the Health Service in Health and Social Care hospitals and also include inpatient activity, commissioned by the Health Service, which is undertaken by the independent sector at locations other than Health and Social Care hospitals.

Notes to editors:

1. All publications are available online

2. About the data

  • The sources for the data contained in this release are the Departmental Information Returns CH3, QOAR, SDR1, IS1, the DHSSPS Inpatient and ICATS Waiting Times Datasets and the Hospital Inpatient System Dataset. These returns collect information from Hospital Trusts and the Health and Social Care Board on a quarterly basis.
  • Figures include all privately funded patients waiting for treatment in Health Service hospitals and those patients who are resident outside Northern Ireland.
  • Data include some estimates and incorporate all returns and amendments received from HSC Trusts up to 20th August 2010.

3. Outpatient definitions

  • An outpatient appointment is to enable a patient to see a consultant or member of their firm.
  • The waiting list figures include all outpatients who have not had their first appointments by the end of the quarter.
  • Outpatient waiting list figures presented do not include maternity specialties 501 (Obstetrics), 510 (Obstetrics (Ante Natal)) and 520 (Obstetrics (Post Natal)).

4. Integrated Clinical Assessment and Treatment Services (ICATS) definitions

  • From 1 April 2010, a number of Integrated Clinical Assessment and Treatment Services (ICATS) were officially introduced within the Health Service in Northern Ireland. ICATS is the term used for a range of outpatient type services for patients, which are provided by integrated multi-disciplinary teams of health service professionals, including GPs with a special interest, specialist nurses and allied health professionals. They are provided in a variety of primary, community and secondary care settings and they include assessment, treatment, diagnostic and advisory services.

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 a 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. Inpatient definitions

Ordinary 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. Day cases are not included.

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 inpatient figures presented include people waiting to be admitted as inpatients either as day cases or ordinary 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 already in hospitals but included on other waiting lists;
  • Patients who are temporarily suspended from waiting lists.

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

Further information is available from:
Hospital Information Branch,
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety,
Annexe 2, Castle Buildings,
Stormont, BT4 3SQ

Telephone: 028 90 523264
E-mail: Statistics@dhsspsni.gov.uk
Internet: http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/index/stats_research/stats-activity_stats-2.htm

8. Media queries to DHSSPS Press Office on 028 9052 0074, or out of office hours contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 076 9971 5440 and your call will be returned.