Fears over medical scan waiting list

THOUSANDS of patients who need medical imaging scans at a south Dublin hospital face a wait of more than a year and a half according to HSE figures.

The figures show that patients needing routine MRI and CT scans at Tallaght Hospital face an average wait of 19 months and 11 months respectively.

Patients waiting for an ultrasound at the hospital currently face a wait of six months or four weeks for those who need X-rays.

The figures also reveal that some 3,166 patients are waiting for a CT scan at the hospital, 1,996 for MRI scans and 2,395 for ultrasounds.

The information was revealed by the HSE on foot of a question submitted by Dublin Mid West TD Joanna Tuffy (Lab).

MRI and CT scans are commonly used to detect tumours and other conditions of the brain.

Triona Murphy, chairperson of the Tallaght Hospital Action Group, described the waiting times for MRI and CT scans at the hospital as

“unacceptable

?.

She noted that before the Hayes report in 2010, which found that almost 58,000 X-rays were recorded as unprocessed at Tallaght, the hospital only employed 11 consultant radiologists.

She also noted that at the time St Vincent’s Hospital, which then dealt with roughly half the number of outpatients treated at Tallaght, employed 14 consultant radiologists.

When the Hayes report was published it recommended that Tallaght Hospital should employ four additional consultant radiologists.

A spokeswoman for Tallaght Hospital confirmed last week that the hospital has employed four new consultant radiologists since the Hayes report was published.

However, she added that two of those employed were replacements for two consultant radiologists who had left the hospital since the Hayes report was published.

Ms Murphy stated:

“We are still below the number of radiologists that Dr Maurice Hayes said we should have in the hospital after his review.

“It is not necessarily the hospital’s fault that it does not have the number of consultant radiologists because they have to wait for the HSE and the Department of Health to sanction them taking on these extra consultants.

“We think we are still far short of where we should be if St Vincent’s has more consultant radiologists than Tallaght and only deals with half the number of outpatients that Tallaght does. This is going to have an impact on waiting times for scans.

“We do feel that the hospital doesn’t have the equipment or the numbers of staff to deal with the demand.

?

Deputy Tuffy called on the hospital to take measures to cut the waiting lists for the scans.

“These waiting times are very long for people who have conditions which are potentially serious,

? she said.

“Obviously not all of the patients who need MRI scans need urgent treatment but some of them would. It seems like there is still an issue that needs to be addressed.

?

A spokeswoman for Tallaght Hospital said it has made

“significant progress

? since the Hayes review.

“It [the hospital] has several initiatives in place to improve access to diagnostic imaging,

? she said.

“A second CT facility is currently being commissioned for operation within weeks. A joint initiative has commenced with Naas General Hospital to access current MRI slots in Naas.

?

A spokeswoman for the HSE declined to respond to the comments made by the Tallaght Hospital Action Group and insisted it was a matter for the hospital.