Waiting Time Lowered For Hospital Cases

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31378, 25 May 1967, Page 9

Waiting Time Lowered For Hospital Cases

Waiting time for orthopaedic patients had been reduced from a maximum of two years and a half to 11 or 12 months at most, the chief medical superintendent (Dr. L. M. Berry) told the North Canterbury Hospital Board yesterday.

The gynaecological waiting list would be reduced when two theatres and more beds were available at St. Helen’s Hospital. Waiting time varied, said Dr. Berry. With ear, nose and throat cases, more staff was needed. The wait for general surgery would be three to four months, and for genitourinary surgery up to two months.

Stapes (an operation for deafness) cases would have a long wait, and the delay

for varicose vein operations and some ear, nose and throat cases would also have to wait some time.

Dr. Berry gave the board the results of a review of its waiting lists, and said there had been a substantial reduction in some of the longer lists, compared with the position last June 30.

Waiting lists at April 30, with the June 30, 1966, figures shown in brackets, were:— General surgery, 381; vascular and arterial surgery, 107; varicose veins, 909; total, 1397 (1066); orthopaedic, 648 (1151); genito-urinary, 23 (128); opthalmic, 144 (132); tonsils and adenoids, 984; stapes, 349; other ear, nose, throat surgery, 647; total, 1790 (1710); gynaecology, 328 (280); plastic, 212 (247); totals, 4552 (4714).