Patients forced to wait 78 weeks for NHS Highland operations
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Some NHS Highland patients have been waiting for close to 18 months to receive orthopaedic surgery, the health board has confirmed.
The revelations came in a letter to Highland regional MSP Edward Mountain who was working on behalf of a constituent when he took up the issue of waiting times.
The health board apologised and went on to say that it is: “Currently unable to provide surgery to many elective patients within the standard waiting time of 12 weeks.
“Typically, patients are currently waiting for approximately 20 weeks for a first outpatient appointment including diagnostic x-rays which are usually carried out on the day of the outpatient appointment.
“Some types of diagnostic scans, such as ultrasound, can take longer. Following this, patients can wait up to a further 58 weeks for surgery should it be required.”
It blamed the long waiting times on a lack of bed capacity, cancellations of planned surgery due to increasing trauma operations and theatre upgrades as well as a fall in the number of consultants.
In a bid to reduce waiting times the troubled health board confirmed they have opened “additional theatre capacity within Raigmore Hospital via two temporary theatres, one of which is solely undertaking orthopaedic procedures”.
A locum consultant has also been employed and the health board is in the process of recruiting two further orthopaedic consultants again to increase capacity.
Tory MSP Mr Mountain said: “To wait up to 78 weeks for an orthopaedic operation is a tragic indictment of how this SNP government has managed our health services.
“Some patients are suffering with excruciating pain and they are having to put their lives on hold for what must seem like an eternity. That’s unacceptable and patients in the Highlands deserve better this.
“I welcome the measures taken by NHS Highland to reduce waiting times. However, after 12 years of this SNP government, I feel patients are right to expect their operations to take place on time and for targets to be met.”
A spokeswoman for NHS Highland said: “We recognise that the wait for orthopaedics is too long and we would like to apologise for any added stress this is causing to our patients.
“We have an increasing older population which is placing a greater demand on the service and we have also seen a lot of trauma cases with the increased number of visitors to the area.
“We will be running additional sessions throughout November and December and are using all the capacity available to us including the available capacity at the Golden Jubilee [in Glasgow]. We are also about to advertise for an additional consultant.
“NHS Highland is currently working with the Scottish Government to develop an Elective Care Centre which will provide additional capacity for orthopaedics.”
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