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WQ.433/2024
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES
BY THE CONNÉTABLE OF ST. LAWRENCE
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 2ND DECEMBER 2024
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 9TH DECEMBER 2024
Question
"In relation to routine Computed Tomography Coronary Angiogram (CTCA) wating times, will the Minister–
- confirm that the maximum waiting time should be 6 weeks;
- advise the current waiting time; and
- if the current waiting time is longer than 6 weeks, provide an explanation for the delay and details of the measures being taken to reduce this?"
Answer
- HCS aims for 80% of patients to have their diagnostic tests within 6 weeks of referral but does not have a maximum waiting time as the department's resources may not be sufficient to always meet the demand.
- As at 3rd December 2024, the median waiting time for a CT Cardiac Angiogram Coronary investigation (publicly funded patients) was 22 weeks and the 90th percentile was 40 weeks. Note: These figures are based on data provided by the Radiology team
Definitions:
Median Waiting Time: The median wait shows the typical length of time a patient has been waiting. The median wait is calculated by arranging each patient's waiting time in order, and then selecting the waiting time of the person at the mid-point of that order. It indicates that half of the patients waited less than the shown number of weeks and half of the patients waited longer.
90th Percentile: The 90th percentile is the maximum number of weeks waited by 90% of the patients. It indicates that 90% of the patients have been waiting less than the number of weeks shown in this column.
- HCS has seen a steady rise in demand for CTCAs over the last years. Reasons may include an increasing ageing population and more people living with heart conditions. The waiting list has therefore grown as increasing demand has exceeded the available capacity; however, work is under way to review operational efficiencies. In addition, options for increasing capacity are considered, for example, additional equipment or working with external partners.