Concern Whether New Labour Scheme Can Tackle Long Waits for Treatment, Wales

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 24 Jan 2005 - 10:00 PDT

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Wales - Speaking ahead of the Assembly's debate scheduled for Wednesday on the Second Offer Scheme, Plaid Cymru's Shadow Health Minister, Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM today expressed his concerns on the ability of the scheme in tackling the long waiting times seen in Wales.

Under the Second Offer Scheme patients who have been waiting more than 18 months the are offered treatment at an alternative setting. Between April and November 2004 take-up of the offer was 43.8%.

The Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales AM said:

"The recent report by the Auditor General for Wales identified a number of failings in the waiting time initiatives of the Labour Assembly Government, and also identified a number of risks associated with the Second Offer Scheme. He reported that the Second Offer Scheme acted ' as a possible perverse incentive to avoid tackling outpatient waiting times because that would increase the numbers waiting for inpatient/day case treatment'. I will be pressing the Minister to address this matter as a matter of urgency.

I shall also be calling for a change in way information on waiting times is collected. At present, the length of wait does not begin at the point of GP referral as it is in England. This change is necessary to give a more accurate account of the length of wait a patient must wait for a hospital appointment and treatment."

Jocelyn Davies AM for South Wales East added:

"Compared to England and Scotland we are doing badly, but within Wales the south east have the longest waits. The Auditor General's report has confirmed that patients in the south east are more likely to wait more than 18 months than anywhere else in Wales."

DIWEDD/ENDS 23 January 2005

Am ragor o wybodaeth cysylltwch a: For more information please contact:
Ioan Bellin 02920 898401, 07815 741664

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