AQW 1045/07


Mrs Naomi Long
Alliance Party
East Belfast


Tabled Date: 25/06/2007
Answered On Date: 27/06/2007
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail (a) the number of people on the waiting list for an appointment to see an orthopaedic consultant; (b) the waiting time for such appointments; and (c) the average time between the first appointment and referral for joint replacement surgery, for those patients so referred.


Answer:
Information on (a) the number of people on the waiting list for an appointment to see an orthopaedic consultant and; (b) the waiting time for such appointments are contained in the table below.
Number of Patients in Northern Ireland waiting for a first outpatient appointment in the Trauma & Orthopaedics specialty at 31 March 2007
Waiting time (in months)
0-2
3-5
6-8
9-11
Total number of patients waiting
Number of patients waiting
7,285
3,471
0
1
10,757
Source- Departmental return CH3
Information on (c) the average time between the first appointment and referral for joint replacement surgery, for those patients so referred is not readily available and could only be complied at disproportionate cost.