NORTHERN Ireland Health Minister Mike Nesbitt visited Enniskillen today to make an address at an event organised by the Royal College of General Practitioners.
A large crowd turned out to the local venue for the ‘Working Rurally in Northern Ireland Conference’, with doctors, educations and patients from the rural area discussing various topics.
Mr Nesbitt called into the meeting, following on from a keynote address which was delivered by Dr John Wynn Jones.
Meanwhile, the Health Minister has commended healthcare staff for their work to reduce waiting lists.
“One of my key priorities is reducing waiting lists and I welcome the incremental improvements we have seen in the latest figures. For the first time in recent years, we have seen a fall in the number of people waiting for an outpatient appointment, against a backdrop of rising demand,” said Mr Nesbitt.
“In the last quarter, the number of patients waiting for a first consultant-led outpatient appointment at hospitals in Northern Ireland has decreased by over 15,000 patients, while the number of patients waiting for inpatient or day case admission to hospitals fell by 7,316, an encouraging downward trend for the second quarter in a row.
“In addition, the figures highlight 6,673 fewer patients waiting for a diagnostic test, compared to the previous quarter.
“This represents a tremendous effort to build capacity, improve productivity, embrace new ways of working and ensure patients receive the right treatment, in the right place, in as timely a manner as possible.
“There is more work to do. Every statistic represents a patient waiting for an appointment or a procedure. However, despite the increasing pressure on our services, these statistics recognise the determination to reform our services to meet patient need. Our healthcare staff are at the centre of this effort to increase elective capacity, improving waiting times and patient outcomes.”
