Issued: 28 May 2024
Figures released today show NHS Highland is well placed to meet the new target to reduce waiting times for consultant appointments to 15 weeks by the end of March 2024.
More than 94% of in patients seen in the first quarter of this year had waited fifteen weeks or less between referral and an appointment with a specialist. More than 87% of out patients seen in the first quarter of this year had waited fifteen weeks or less.
For patients still waiting at the time information was collected at the end of each month no-one on waiting lists for in patient or day case appointments had been waiting longer than the current 18 weeks and less than 1% of those waiting for an outpatient appointment at the end of each of the first three months had been waiting more than 18 weeks.
In addition targets for cataract surgery and angiography are being met.
Chief Operating Officer Elaine Mead said: "The vast majority of patients are being seen within the current waiting times targets. In fact we are already meeting next years target for the majority of patients. This is a big improvement on previous years and evidence of the strong commitment from staff across the Highlands to speed up care for patients. We have identified pressures in neurology, orthodontics and orthopaedics and action is being taken so we can continue to bring down waiting times. I am not underestimating the challenge ahead of us but our track record gives me reason to be confident that we will meet the target by the end of March next year."
The figures out today are the first from a new system of measuring waiting times which ensures that patients who are unavailable for treatment due to medical or social reasons continue to be monitored. Each patient's record includes an electronic clock which stops if they are unavailable and restarts when they are available.