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Liberal Democrats will cut 'hidden' NHS waiting lists
April 19, 2005 12:05 PM
Liberal Democrat Leader, Charles Kennedy, and Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Paul Burstow, pledged to give more freedom to frontline staff and an extra £350 million over the next Parliament to help cut waiting times for diagnosis for approximately 500,000 people languishing on 'hidden' waiting lists.
New research released today by the Liberal Democrats shows unacceptable waits for essential scans.
· Patients are waiting up to six months or more for routine MRI scans which are used to detect tumours, cancers and serious heart conditions in 2 in 5 NHS trusts.
· Patients are waiting over a year for MRI scans in 1 in 5 trusts.
· Patients are waiting for CT scans for up to six months or over in 1 in 7 trusts. CT scans are used for diagnosis of cancers and serious neurological and cardiovascular conditions.
Yet NHS scanners are standing idle.
· A quarter of trusts reported that 25% or more of their on-site scanning equipment was not being used at all.
· Five trusts reported a shocking 60% or more of their on-site scanning capacity was left unutilised. Of these, one trust reported only 10% of its scanning capacity was being used.
· Lack of funding for NHS radiology departments was reported as being the primary barrier to reducing waiting times for tests and scans.
Charles Kennedy said:
"Our commitment is to the forgotten people in the NHS system - those languishing on the hidden waiting lists that the Labour Government doesn't even bother to measure.
"At present, the Government only measures the time taken from when you are diagnosed with an illness until you are actually treated.
These targeted waiting times are indeed being reduced. But those on the hidden waiting lists - those waiting for tests and scans to find out what is wrong with them - have seen no action.
"Those patients covered by targets get preferential treatment so that hospitals can meet the commitments set by Ministers in Westminster. .
The rest suffer.
"This situation is totally unacceptable. Cutting waiting times for diagnosis will be a top priority for a Liberal Democrat government."
Paul Burstow said:
"As our survey of NHS Trusts reveals today, waits of 6 months for a scan are not uncommon, waits of a year are not unheard of. Families are left in limbo. Lives are put at risk.
"We will not tie the hands of local hospitals, forcing them to have a private sector scanner in the car park when they do not have the money to run their own expensive machines.
"Under a Liberal Democrat government, there will be no more hidden waits. Patients will see shorter waiting times to get a diagnosis so that they can start their treatment more quickly."
Liberal Democrat Health Spokeswoman, Baroness Barker, said:
"It is not right that people end up stuck on hidden waiting lists, waiting months for a diagnosis.
"This is something which does not just affect people who are waiting for an operation. For people with long term health conditions, a prompt diagnosis is crucial to help people take control and manage their condition.
"The Liberal Democrats will put patients first."
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