Median wait for first cardiology appointment reaches 48 weeks, Tynwald told

People on the waiting list for a first consultant-led cardiology outpatient appointment are now waiting a median of 48 weeks, Health Minister Claire Christian has told Tynwald.

That figure covers patients who have yet to be seen. Those who had their first appointment in September waited a median of 23 weeks, according to figures reported by Energy FM.

Mrs Christian was responding to a question from David Ashford, the Speaker of the House of Keys. She said several factors lay behind the delays, including higher demand, the complexity of cardiology conditions and capacity problems within the service.

The minister said Manx Care, which runs the island’s health and care services, was working to bring waits down. She said this would come through extra clinical capacity, better processes and closer work with primary care.

Manx Care’s chief executive, Dr Chris Stockport, has commissioned an independent review of how waiting lists are managed and how patients move through the system. Energy FM reported that its findings are expected to go before Manx Care’s public board in November.

Mrs Christian also said work was under way to improve referral pathways. The aim is to give GPs more direct access to some services, which she said should help shorten waits.

During the exchange, Mr Ashford raised concerns about how patients are told when an urgent referral is downgraded. He said some received no explanation for the change.

Mrs Christian acknowledged the problem. She said both the patient and their GP should be told whenever a referral’s priority changes. She added that better communication was a central focus of the independent review.