The good news: You won’t have to wait 94 weeks for elective surgery any more…the bad news is someone has still been waiting for 78 weeks.
An Isle of Wight health chief has said surgery waiting times are reducing, but the figure is still moveable.
Backlog due to lockdown
As a result of the first national Coronavirus lockdown, the backlog for elective surgery at the Isle of Wight NHS Trust increased as all non-emergency procedures were stopped.
Since then steps have been taken to reduce the waiting lists and get people treated as soon as possible, in safety.
Operation theatres have opened at the weekend with more surgical teams being brought in to work.
Covid measures have caused challenges in getting that backlog reduced.
Smyth: Waiting list a moveable feast
The number of patients now waiting for elective surgery who have waited between 40 and 52 weeks or more stands at 961, according to the IOW NHS Trust’s chief operating officer, Joe Smyth.
Mr Smyth described the waiting list figures as a moveable feast as more people will either come up into the ’40 to 51 week’ and ’52 week or more’ brackets after continuing to wait while some will be knocked off the list after having their treatment.
Waited 94 weeks for procedure
Speaking at a meeting of the IOW NHS Trust Board meeting, Mr Smyth did share good news, as services made progress — the longest-waiting patient for surgery has been taken off the list after waiting 94 weeks for their procedure.
Now, the person at the top of the waiting list on the admitted surgery pathway has been waiting for 78 weeks.
Other steps around St Mary’s Hospital, in Newport, to reduce waiting times include the introduction of new MRI and CT scanners to recover services to be at and above pre-covid operational potential.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
Image: mdominguezfoto under CC BY 2.0
