Waiting list crisis ‘biggest test’ for NI politicians

Solving the waiting lists crisis is the biggest test ever for NI politicians, a former health chief executive has said.

John Compton said while we live in a “complicated society”, the problem was more complex than anything else so far, as hundreds of thousands of lives were involved.

He said he hoped the politicians were up to the challenge, but at times doubted they could deliver.

Mr Compton, who was chief executive of the Health and Social Care Board from 2009 to 2014, said: “This is a very complex thing and it is a real challenge.

“If we are serious about having a devolved administration, then it has no alternative but to responsibly address the problems we are now in.”

The latest hospital figures revealed another increase in the number of people waiting to see a consultant for the first time.

The total of 335,000 people waiting is up by almost 12,000 since December.

Mr Compton said to move forward the executive had to demonstrate leadership and explain to the public what it was going to do next.

He has recommended the formation of a group within the executive, made up of several ministers even a “Tsar” type figure who would report to the government and to the public solely on waiting lists on a quarterly basis.

He said: “Some of these problems have to be solved on a Northern Ireland-wide waiting list arrangement.

“For instance in breast care, women should be offered the first appointment at whatever hospital is available in Northern Ireland, no matter where they live or where they may have to travel.

“That is not a radical plan if it means you actually get your treatment – we have failed over the years to understand that the health service is for 1.8m people, it’s not about the parochial location.”

Without change, leadership or ownership of the crisis, Mr Compton warned of “some pretty unpleasant outcomes”.

He said first and foremost there were people who were suffering because of the pain they had to live with.

He said: “If it continues there will be excess deaths and people will start to question why.

“They then will resort to the courts as people will realise that their contract with the health service was broken as they didn’t receive their care in time.

“If it is two years or more beyond the target, people will go to court on that basis and it will all scream for a public inquiry.”

Mr Compton said the situation was “unfortunate” and mostly unnecessary.

He added that if you allowed the current level of “chaos” to continue it would inevitably end up in the courts.

Responding to the latest figures on Thursday, Health Minister Robin Swann said a new framework was being finalised to tackle waiting lists.

There were difficult choices to be made by all Stormont departments if tackling waiting lists was to be prioritised, he said.

“We have to reshape services to improve our health service’s capacity and ensure this backlog never occurs again.”