PATIENTS with painful joint conditions face increasing delays for surgery in Jersey, according to latest figures released by Health and Community Services.
Waiting times for patients with non-urgent orthopaedic conditions rose to record levels in May, when the average waiting time was recorded as 22.7 weeks for patients classed as routine and 13.1 weeks for those in the category ‘soon’, increases of 5.6 and 1.2 weeks, respectively, on the previous month.
Last month, the JEP reported that one hospital consultant had written to a patient in May to acknowledge that they were ‘struggling at the moment to get any joint-replacement work done due to the pressures on the Hospital in terms of staffing and bed availability’.
The consultant recognised that ‘numerous patients’ were ‘now in considerable trouble with painful joints and progressive disability’.
They blamed the situation on ‘a high number of patients who are medically fit for discharge but who are awaiting a placement for ongoing care, such as a nursing-home bed or the start of a domiciliary care package.’
HCS medical director Patrick Armstrong held an early-morning meeting with clinicians to discuss ways of reorganising the hospital to create extra bed capacity. No details were provided of the reorganisation at the time but it was subsequently revealed that the medical day unit had been relocated to free up beds.
The latest data published by HCS reveals the extent of the increased delays experienced in May for patients facing a range of treatment for ‘trauma and orthopaedics’ but some patients awaiting hip replacement operations are understood to be facing delays considerably longer than those suggested by the published data.
Three weeks ago the JEP requested details of delays affecting patients awaiting hip and knee replacement operations but a spokesperson said they were unable to extrapolate the data from the information they had.
Meanwhile, in spite of the recent internal changes – which suggest a slight improvement in the situation – the number of patients kept on hospital wards even though they are medically fit for discharge remains at a level which Mr Armstrong described previously as ‘significant’.
Last month he said: ‘In the past, we’ve been running between 15 and 20, and if you are getting over 30 it will be significant.
‘We are generally running at over 30 and peaking at 50 at the moment, which is very unusual at this time of year.’
Asked for the current situation a hospital spokesperson said: ‘There are 35 patients in the Hospital who are medically fit to be discharged, but who are not able to be discharged to places for ongoing care.’
