The number of patients waiting longer than 12 weeks for planned surgery in Tayside has gone up by over a third in the last year, according to a new report.
A summary performance report put before the board of NHS Tayside last week said 7418 patients had been waiting longer than 12 weeks to undergo an elective procedure at the end of April this year.
A similar document presented to the board last year showed the number of patients waiting more than 12 weeks for surgery at the end of June 2021 stood at 5415.
The latest summary performance report also shows the number of patients in Tayside waiting longer than 12 weeks for an outpatient appointment has gone up a quarter over the same period.
An earlier document showed 8328 patients had waited more than 12 weeks for an appointment at the end of June last year. The latest report showed that figure had risen to 10,411 by the end of April this year.
The same report said the number of patients in Tayside waiting more than six weeks for a key diagnostic test stood at 7251 at the end of April but NHS Tayside’s director of performance and activity Hazel Barnett assured board members last Thursday this figure was now being brought down.
“The number waiting for over six weeks has reduced throughout May and that’s down to additional activity and capacity,” she said.
On the subject of planned surgery waiting times the report put before board members last week said: “NHS Tayside has seen a continued increase in the number of patients waiting greater than 12 weeks for an elective inpatient/daycase procedure (TTG) reaching 7418 at [the end of] April from 7163 at [the end of] March 2022.
“Routine elective activity is progressing across Ninewells, PRI and Stracathro as per the agreed phased remobilisation planning and TTG activity over April 2021 [to] March 2022 remained above planned levels outlined in our remobilisation plan 2021-22 with 16,393 patients treated against a plan of 14,976 patients.
“Activity also exceeded planned figure for April 2022, with 1408 patients treated against a planned figure of 1309.”
Turning to outpatient waiting times the report went on: “The volume of new outpatients waiting beyond 12 weeks rose to 10,411 at [the end of] April 2022, from 10,136 at [the end of] March 2022.
“Outpatient delivery decreased over April 2022 with 7712 patients seen against 9927 in March 2022.
“Clinics continue to remobilise, with the number of patients waiting over 52 weeks also reducing as the waiting list validation exercise progresses.
“Outpatient delivery over April 2021 [to] March 2022 remained above planned levels outlined in our remobilisation plan with 100,182 patients seen against a plan of 81,447.”
On the subject of key diagnostic tests the report added: “The volume of patients waiting beyond six weeks for a key diagnostic test has increased to 7251 at [the end of] April 2022 from 6889 at [the end of] March 2022.
“Urgent colonoscopy waits have reduced due to additional weekend activity supported by the independent sector which is in place until the end of April 2022.
“Continued waiting times funding has been approved to support the continuation of the mobile endoscopy unit and weekend working to meet the six week standard for colonoscopy and support improvement in the current backlog of our surveillance programme.”
