NI health: Officials invited to NHS waiting list talks

Steve Connaghan has been waiting five years for surgery

A pensioner has spoken of his frustration at a five-year wait for prostate surgery in Northern Ireland.

"It seems like you're never going to get it done," Steve Connaghan said.

He was speaking after senior health and political officials in Northern Ireland were invited to take part in talks on how the UK can tackle hospital waiting lists.

UK Health Secretary Steve Barclay has said he is open to patients from across the UK being treated in England.

Letters were sent to the secretary of state, the head of the civil service and the permanent health secretary in Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland's waiting lists are the worst in the UK, with Wales following close behind.

As of 31 March there were 401,201 patients waiting for their first consultant-led outpatient appointment.

'Not getting any easier'

Mr Connaghan, 72, who is waiting for a prostate resection, said his condition is "not getting any easier"

"You can't go out anywhere long distance unless you plan your trips by toilet trips," he said.

"The last letter I got off the consultant was to say he didn't know when he was doing it.

His wife, Linda, said that her husband's condition is deteriorating and said he has suffered from bladder stones due to an enlarged prostate.

The couple said they do not mind travelling for surgery

The couple, who are originally from England, live in Londonderry.

Linda added that although they do not mind travelling for surgery, she is doubtful UK-wide cooperation will do anything for waiting lists.

"I've asked this question before...they always say different hospitals are different trusts, they wouldn't even send you to a Belfast trust never mind England," she said.

The couple said there has been poor communication between themselves and the Western Trust in regards to Steve's operation.

"We're getting very little information," Steve said.

"It would be quite nice to know what number I was on the waiting list... I don't think I'll ever know that."

The Western Trust has apologised to all people on waiting lists and said Mr Connaghan is one of 271 men awaiting this particular procedure in the trust area.

Northern Ireland's waiting lists are the worst in the UK

In a statement, the Department of Health described the waiting lists as "unacceptable".

Last month, the Department of Health admitted targets set out in a £700m investment into the health service to reduce waiting lists would not be achieved.

The framework had set a target of March 2026 for no patient waiting more than 52 weeks for a first appointment, and 26 weeks for a diagnostics appointment.

NHS services are devolved, meaning Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland control their own, while the UK government runs the services in England.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said he was 'open to requests' for patients from devolved nations to be treated in England

On Sunday, Mr Barclay invited politicians from the Welsh and Scottish governments to discuss how best to tackle NHS waiting lists.

He accused them of having worse delays than England, but both devolved nations' health ministers have disputed this.

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris tweeted that despite Northern Ireland officials being invited, it was "regrettable" no NI health minister could take part.

The Stormont Executive has not been functioning fully since February 2022 when the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) withdrew in protest over post-Brexit trade agreements.

This means no health minister can take up post, with departments being run by civil servants.

"If we want to see action we need an Executive in place," Mr Heaton-Harris continued.

NI 'shouldn't be penalised'

The former health minister Robin Swann said there were opportunities for Northern Ireland

The former Stormont health minister Robin Swann said Northern Ireland must have a voice at the table.

"If Scotland and Wales are going to turn this down because they see it as politics, whatever is being offered needs to be taken up by Northern Ireland," he told BBC News NI.

"We already have the worst waiting lists across the UK so we should be taking every opportunity that is being made to us," he added.

He said Northern Ireland already transfers patients across to some specialist services in England so "the mechanisms are already there so its how we expand and utilise those", he said.

Northern Ireland's director of the Royal College of Surgeons Mark Taylor said that it was critical that Northern Ireland was part of the conversation to look at every solution for "our horrendous waiting lists".

He added that he hoped the "correct people are at the table".

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In a statement, the Department of Health said that extended waiting lists are a "result of a prolonged mismatch between demand for care and hospital capacity".

It added the crisis has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The department wants a health service that provides timely care to everyone who needs it when they need it and would welcome any opportunity to explore key issues with the UK government and other devolved administrations."

Analysis: National approach in its infancy

At this stage there are no details about how this national approach would work.

With England reporting record waiting lists of 7.57m people in June, it is difficult to see how hospitals there would be able to help those waiting in Scotland, Wales and in Northern Ireland.

Local patients already avail of some of England's hospitals including Great Ormond Street and Birmingham for some paediatric organ transplants.

Mr Barclay has asked UK health ministers to discuss how health data can be made more comparable, and what lessons can be learnt from different approaches taken in each nation.