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Waiting times for medical procedures

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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY DEPUTY M.R. HIGGINS OF ST HELIER

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 1st APRIL 2014

Question

  1. Further to the answer given on 19th January 2010 (5026) would the Minister provide an update, for each medical discipline/specialism (for example: cardiology, neurology, orthopaedics etc), of -
  1. the number of consultants employed on a full time and part time basis in each area?
  2. (i)  the number of non-private health insurance people on waiting lists to see a consultant in each area; and

(ii)  the average waiting time for these to see the consultant?

  1. (i)  the number of private health insurance people on waiting lists to see a consultant in each area; and

(ii)  the average waiting time for these people to see the consultant?

  1. The total number of operations performed in each discipline at the hospital for each year from 1st January 2008 to 31st December 2013 stating -
  1. the number of private and non-private operations carried out in each discipline for each year;
  2. the cost of performing these operations in each area for each year for non-private health insurance patients and private health insurance patients?
  1. The number, disciplines and costs of locums and agency nursing staff employed by the hospital for each year from 1st January 2009 to 31st December 2013?

Answer

I kindly refer Deputy Higgins to the response given to question 5026 in 2010 which was identical to this question. I have therefore attempted to combine the answers for ease of reference.

Answer to Question 1 a - Please see chart 1 below Chart 1 Number of Consultant Posts

Specialty

2010 Number of consultant posts

2014 Number of consultant posts

A&E

3

5

Anaesthetics

6

7

Community Dental

0.8

0.8

Oral Surgery

1

1

Orthodontics

0.8 +visiting

0.9 + visiting

ENT

2

3

General Surgery

Vascular surgery Urology

3

1

1.3 (0.3 = regular visiting

Colorectal surgery Breast surgery

 

consultant)

1 1

Trauma and Orthopaedics

3

3

General medicine and specialties

8

10

Obstetrics and Gynaecology

3

4

Ophthalmology

2

3

Paediatrics

3

3

Pathology

4

4

Radiology

4

4

Oncology

0.8

1.8

Psychiatry

4

8

Total

48.4

62.8

Answer to Question 1 b (i) & (ii) - Please see chart 2 below

Chart 2 Waiting List Numbers and Average Wait Times

 

2010

2014

Specialty

Numbers on list January 2010

Average wait in weeks

Numbers on list March 2014

Average wait in weeks in 2013

General Surgery

(Inc breast, vascular, plastic, colo-rectal)

361

18

379

6

Urology

178

22

453

10

Orthopaedics

382

11

1246

21

Paediatrics

123

14

73

8

Sports Injury

173

28

66

6

ENT

164

4

474

6

Ophthalmology

397

27

554

7

Pain

296

17

600

9

Gynaecology

167

9

291

6

Oral Surgery

147

5

416

14

Orthodontics

146

12

387

28

Community Dental

83

10

488

12

Diabetes

168

23

191

12

General Medicine

(inc endocrinology, rheumatology, nephrology, geriatric)

72

7

236

6

Respiratory

57

21

68

5

Gastro-enterology

205

48

270

17

Neurology

269

31

215

13

Cardiology

121

7

94

20

Dermatology

535

34

469

13

Total

4044

 

6591

 

Answer to Question 1c (i) & (ii)

HSSD does not hold any information on private waiting lists or times as this is managed by the consultants in their independent private businesses. Almost all private out-patient consultations take place off HSSD premises.

Answer to Question 2 a & b - Please see charts 3 and 4 below

Chart 3 - Number of Procedures by Speciality and Private or Public Patients

The table below sets out the number of procedures, by specialty, for each of the years 2010 to 2013. The available data for 2008 & 2009 was provided in response to the question raised in January 2010.

As reported in 2010 costs at this level of detail have not historically been available. These costs are available for 2013 and are shown in the table below.

Chart 4 - Cost of performing operations by Specialty and Public or Private Patients

Note 1: The costs above include only the direct costs of performing operations.  Note 2: Private patient costs are fully recovered through charges raised.

Answer to Question 3 - Please charts 5 and 6

Chart 5 Medical Agency Costs and Numbers of Locum Doctors Used

 

Total cost 2010

Total cost 2011

Total cost 2012

Total cost 2013

Annual Cost

£1,635,659

£2,252,920

£1,799,508

£2,081,315

Number of Locum Doctors Used

304

322

261

234

Chart 6 Nursing Agency Costs and Numbers of Locum Nurses Used

 

Total cost 2010

Total cost 2011

Total cost 2012

Total Cost 2013

Annual Cost

£985,360

£1,038,933

£923,643

£810,788

Number of Agency Nurses Used

Not available

Not available

97

84