Galway University Hospitals to meet waiting list targets
By Mary O’connor
Galway University Hospitals is set to meet its target of a nine month waiting list for adult inpatients and a 20-week waiting time for children by September.
A range of measures were introduced at the west’s biggest hospital to achieve this target which was set by the Department of Health.
These included waiting list validation, improved reporting and focus, more effective use of resources across all of the hospitals in the Galway and Roscommon University Hospital Group, patient education and engagement as well as increasing theatre capacity, including re-opening a previously closed theatre.
Tony Canavan, the chief operating officer of the Galway and Roscommon University Hospital Group, said that in January, GUH had 9,901 patients who would potentially breach the target of waiting longer than nine months if they were not seen by the target date of 30 September.
“As of 7 June we have reduced the number waiting to 4,191 patients and we are on course to achieve the SDU target in September. This is a tremendous achievement and has only been possible because of the integration of all the hospitals in the group and the efforts of all the staff involved.”
Colette Cowan, the director of nursing at Galway University Hospitals, said it is a “huge achievement” to re-open a theatre at this time.
“It has increased our capacity to treat more patients. In recent weeks four additional theatre nurses have started working in GUH and three more are due to take up posts later this summer. I would like to welcome the new staff to our hospital where they are joining a very dedicated and hardworking team.”
The HSE West says the waiting lists for inpatient and daycase procedures at GUH are reducing each week as a result of clinical and administrative management and the support of all the hospitals in the group. These also include Portiuncula Hospital Ballinasloe and Roscommon County Hospital.
