NI Conservatives’ health spokesman, Councillor Brian Dunn, has described an increase in the waiting list for hip and knee operations in the Belfast Trust as “worrying and unacceptable”.
“The latest figures give serious cause for concern”, Dr Dunn explained. “It is becoming widely accepted that the Belfast Trust is failing to meet its targets and a longer waiting list inevitably means it takes longer for patients to get appointments and operations. That’s extremely distressing for people who may be in serious pain and can be effectively immobilised with these types of joint problems. The effect can also be that otherwise healthy people are unable to work or are forced to go on benefits.”
“Knee and hip replacements are successful operations, which not only make a real difference to people’s lives, they also facilitate independent living and they illustrate the positive role the NHS plays in our society. If it’s taking longer to deliver the service Edwin Poots must determine very quickly whether the problem is an increase in referrals or a decrease in the Belfast Trust’s capacity to perform operations, and put things right as quickly as possible.”
“Many people are relying on the NHS to deliver these vital operations and it is simply not acceptable if they are languishing on waiting lists for months or years. The health minister and the Belfast trust must take action and address this problem immediately.”