Patients in long wait allotted dates
PATIENTS in danger of long waits for appointments at Ipswich Hospital have now been allotted the dates when they can come in.Concerns surrounded the extensive waiting lists which in January showed 362 people waiting more than 17 weeks for an outpatient appointment and 381 people waiting more than nine months for an inpatient appointment.
PATIENTS in danger of long waits for appointments at Ipswich Hospital have now been allotted the dates when they can come in.
Concerns surrounded the extensive waiting lists which in January showed 362 people waiting more than 17 weeks for an outpatient appointment and 381 people waiting more than nine months for an inpatient appointment.
The Government targets stated that no more than 60 patients must be waiting for the 17 week appointments by the end of March and no more than 100 for nine-month appointments.
But Chris Dooley, acting director for Ipswich Hospital Board said that the trust was now on track to meet the targets and everyone has a date to come in.
He told the board at a public meeting: "It has been incredibly busy in both January and February and also going into March.
"We have had this 12 per cent increase in emergency admissions as well as trying to meet quite aggressive targets.
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"From executives to porters and domestics, everyone has felt the pressure of the increase.
"We remain on target to reach the non-financial key targets and have made considerable progress on patient day case bookings."
Patient booking systems have now changed to create better access and patients have a choice of a date to go in for their appointments.
Targets state that 67 per cent of people being referred for their first outpatient appointment should be offered a choice of dates.
In February 90 pc of people were offered a choice and 84 pc of patients waiting for an inpatient appointment were given different options.
Spokeswoman for the hospital Jan Rowsell said the hospital was now on target to give 100 pc of people waiting for dates options for when to come in.
N If you have a view, good or bad, on they way you have been treated in hospital write in to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send us an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk or visit the forum at www.eveningstar.co.uk
