ENT demand spikes in Trust

Health Minister Edwin Poots said the number of new patients waiting for a first outpatient appointment in ENT in the Trust rose steadily from 1,071 in March 2009 to 1,712 in March 2012. Equally, inpatient admissions rose from 473 to 729 over the same time-frame.

Mr Poots said the increase could be due to demographic changes, changes in primary care, greater public awareness and reduced waiting times.

He also said the Health and Social Care (HSC) Board allocated an additional £514,000 to meet demand and reduce waiting times across both assessments and treatments in the ENT specialty. The increase in demand in the Western Trust was reflected right across Northern Ireland.

But although the Southern Trust is recruiting a new ENT consultant, the Belfast Trust is replacing one with a locum and the Northern Trust is looking at increasing its clinical capacity within ENT, there are no such plans here.

“The Western Trust and South Eastern Trusts have no plans to recruit additional doctors however additional Outpatient Clinics and

Theatre Lists will be undertaken by the South Eastern Trust’s ENT Consultants between now and the end of March 2013 to ensure ENT waiting lists are reduced,” the Minister explained.