HC Deb 16 March 2004 vol 419 cc266-8W
Mr. Donaldson

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the waiting times for appointments were at(a) ophthalmology and (b) ear, nose and throat clinics in the (i) Down Lisburn Trust, (ii) South and East Belfast Trust, (iii) North and West Belfast Trust and (iv) Ulster Community and Hospital Trust. [161525]

Angela Smith

North and West Belfast Trust and South and East Belfast Trust do not hold out-patient clinics for the Ophthalmology and Ear, Nose and Throat specialties. Patients from these areas in Belfast would routinely attend Ophthalmology or Ear, Nose and Throat outpatient clinics at Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust, Belfast City Hospital HSS Trust, Mater Infirmorum Hospital HSS Trust or Ulster Community and Hospitals trust.

The numbers waiting for first out-patient appointment to the Ophthalmology and Ear, Nose and Throat specialties are as follows.

Number waiting for first out-patient appointment in the Ophthalmology specialty, quarter ending 31 December 2003, by trust
Months waiting for first out-patient appointment
Trust 0–2 3–5 6–8 9–11 12–14 Total waiting
Royal Group of Hospitals HSS 1,950 2,433 305 64 29 4,781
Belfast City Hospital HSS Trust 115 78 7 2 0 202
Ulster Community & Hospitals HSS Trust 841 1,006 265 55 90 2,257
Down and Lisburn HSS Trust 244 373 114 6 1 738
Mater Infirmorum Hospital HSS Trust 660 410 2 2 1 1,075
Craigavon Area Hospital Group HSS Trust 463 1,043 227 98 40 1,871
Newry and Mourne HSS Trust 251 451 156 97 180 1,135
Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust 135 210 80 74 33 532
Altnagelvin Hospitals HSS Trust 1,251 2,139 583 254 167 4,394

Source:

CH3 Part 1 & 2.