HC Deb 12 March 2003 vol 401 c312W
Mr. Dodds

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average waiting time for assessment and treatment of blue card emergency patients was in Northern Ireland in the last year for which figures are available. [102311]

Mr. Browne

All Blue Card emergency patients have already been assessed within the Neurosurgery specialty. The Blue Card system is a method of prioritising the most urgent Neurosurgery patients. Figures are not available for the length of time between assessment and treatment. Patients on the Blue Card list are treated as soon as a bed becomes available.

At the end of December 2002 there were 302 persons waiting for their first outpatient appointment the Neurosurgery specialty. More than half of all persons waiting for their first outpatient appointment had been waiting less than three months.

The number of persons waiting in the Neurosurgery specialty for inpatient admission was 733. More than half of these were waiting in excess of 18 months.