Checks under way to reduce out-patient waiting times

GALWAY and Roscommon hospitals are making contact with 18,000 patients this week to check if they still require an out-patient clinic appointment. The review is part of the ongoing challenge to reduce lengthy outpatient waiting lists . The hospitals have until November to ensure that no patient is waiting longer than a year. Last November the Galway and Roscommon University Hospital Group started to validate the waiting list and contacted more than 23,000 patients from Galway, Roscommon and surrounding areas to check that they still needed an appointment. These patients had been waiting more than a year at that time for an appointment. â€Å“We wrote to all of the patients asking them to telephone us to confirm if they still required an appointment. If after two weeks we had no response, we sent a second letter. If there was still no response after a further two weeks we contacted the patientâ€â„¢s GP,â€Â said chief operating officer for the group, Tony Canavan. The second validation project has just started, which involves contacting a further 18,000 patients. Mr Canavan stressed the need for people to respond to the letters. â€Å“It is really important that people take time to read these letters and take action by calling us. The letter will include a telephone number for out-patient services where we have a team of staff dedicated to this validation project and ready to take calls. â€Å“If you receive a letter and call us, we will update your contact details, if necessary, and find out if you still need an appointment. â€Å“We are working hard to provide appointments on dates that suit patients, which in turn will mean that we should have fewer â€Ëœno showsâ€â„¢ which put an unnecessary burden on the hospital,â€Â he added. Last year close to 290,000 people attended out-patient clinics but there were a further 23,000 patients who didnâ€â„¢t turn up.