2 June 2005

PUBLICATION OF MARCH 2005 WAITING LIST STATISTICS

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety today published the March 2005 Northern Ireland Waiting List Statistics Release.

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

Key facts and figures for NI waiting lists at end of March 2005

Inpatient Waiting List

• The total number of people waiting for treatment at the end of March 2005 was 47,545.

• This total has decreased by 1,705 (-3.5 percent) compared with the previous quarter (end of December 2004) and has decreased by 2,430 (-4.9 percent) over the year (compared with the end of March 2004).
• The number of excess waiters stood at 782, 1.6 percent of the total number waiting.
• The number of excess waiters has decreased by 1,599 (-67.2 percent) compared with the previous quarter (end of December 2004) and has decreased by 2,834

  (-78.4 percent) over the year (compared with the end of March 2004).

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

• 73 percent of inpatients seen during the March 2005 quarter had been on the waiting list for less than three months.
• 95 percent of inpatients seen during the March 2005 quarter had been on the waiting list for less than twelve months.

Outpatient Waiting List

• The total number of people waiting for a first outpatient appointment at the end of March 2005 was 167,138.

• This total has increased by 2,508 (+1.5 percent) compared with figures for the previous quarter (end of December 2004) and has increased by 19,080 (+12.9 percent) over the year (compared with the March 2004 quarter).

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

• 68 percent of outpatients seen during the March 2005 quarter had been on the waiting list for less than three months.
• 95 percent of outpatients seen during the March 2005 quarter had been on the waiting list for less than twelve months.

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. All publications are available on line at www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/stats&research/pubs.asp
2. About the data
   • The sources for the data contained in this release are the Charter Monitoring Returns CH1, CH2, CH3 and CH4. These returns collect information from Hospital Trusts 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.
   • The source for the monthly data contained in this release is the Charter Monitoring Return CHA. This return collects information from Health Boards on a monthly basis. Monthly figures exclude all privately funded patients and those resident outside Northern Ireland.
   • Data includes some estimates and incorporates all returns and amendments received from HSS Trusts and Boards up to 23 May 2005.

3. 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 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.
   • In Northern Ireland, inpatient excess waiters are defined as those having to wait 12 months or more for admission to the Cardiac Surgery specialty and those having to wait 18 months or more to other specialties.

4. Outpatient definitions
   • An outpatient appointment is to enable a patient to see a consultant or member of his 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 510 (Obstetrics (Ante Natal)) and 520 (Obstetrics (Post Natal)).
   • For outpatients, excess waiters are defined as those having to wait more than 3 months for a first outpatient appointment.

5. 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,
   Annex 2, Castle Buildings,
   Stormont, BT4 3UD
   Telephone: 028 90 522800
   E-mail: rib@dhsspsni.gov.uk
   Internet: http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/stats-hospital_community_statistics#waiting

   Media queries to DHSSPS Information Office on 028 90 520571.

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