§ Mr. McGradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland(a) how many people are waiting for an appointment for the dermatology clinic in the Down Lisburn trust; (b) what the average waiting time for an appointment is; (c) what the longest time an individual has waited for an appointment is; and (d) what further measures will be taken to reduce waiting times for an appointment with the dermatologists in the trust. [83709]
§ Mr. BrowneThe information is as follows:
- (a) 654 patients are waiting for an appointment at the dermatology clinics in Down Lisburn trust.
- (b) It is not possible to provide an average waiting time for appointment as this depends on the clinical priority of the patient. However, urgent cases are normally seen within six weeks of referral.
- (c) The longest time an individual has waited for an appointment is two years.
- (d) A number of measures are being taken to improve dermatology services in the Down Lisburn trust. These include the monitoring and redistribution of patients on consultants' waiting lists; the setting up of a dermatology sub-group of the Eastern Health and
544W Social Services Board Cancer Implementation Group; and a current review of consultant workloads and waiting lists across the board area.