200 patients are transferred to Ballykelly to help ease pressure

This quarter last year (ending March 2010) the figure was 1140. This dropped to three in the quarter ending June 2010 and further to zero for the quarter ending September 2010 before rising to 242 by December.

The Health Minister Michael McGimpsey outlined the figures in repsonse to an Assembly Question.

He said the figures referred to “the number of patients transferred from Altnagelvin Hospital that subsequently attended a first outpatient appointment at the North West Independent Hospital in Ballykelly, between the quarters ending March 2010 and the quarter ending December 2010.”

He stated: “All patients transferred to the North West Independent Hospital are awaiting an appointment at the Trauma and Orthopaedic specialty.”