Northern Ireland

Polish patients flying home for 'faster' medical treatment due to north's spiralling waiting lists

The north's hospital waiting lists were already the worst in the NHS prior to the pandemic
The north's hospital waiting lists were already the worst in the NHS prior to the pandemic The north's hospital waiting lists were already the worst in the NHS prior to the pandemic

POLISH patients living in Northern Ireland are travelling home for medical treatment due to spiralling NHS waiting lists, a GP has revealed.

Dr Michael McKenna, who runs a busy practice in west Belfast, said some women requiring gynaecological surgery had flown back to Poland because they were not prepared to wait "years" for their first hospital appointment with a consultant.

The medic also said some of his patients, who fled war in Syria, had expressed "disbelief" at the state of the north's health service.

Latest waiting list figures show that women face a delay of almost three years to see a gynaecologist in Belfast following a 'routine' referral by their GP - while those deemed 'urgent' must still wait almost ten months.

Rheumatology patients have the longest delays, at almost six years.

Dr McKenna said there was also mounting concern around waiting lists for children with suspected autism, with one mother paying £1,200 for a 'multi-disciplinary" assessment, involving different health professionals.

"People are borrowing money, they're maxing out credit cards and they're crowd funding themselves on Facebook to get treatment. It's hugely frustrating when you see people in front of you who need help," he said.

"I have people coming to me from Syria and they look at me in disbelief when I show them the waiting list - they had a really good health system before the country was wrecked.

"I have Polish patients who are flying back home for treatment because it's faster than here. Gynae surgery is the main one.

"The patient who paid £1,200 for her child was facing a waiting list for up to three years. You can't make a diagnosis of autism without face to face assessments. Once she paid, her child was seen in a matter of weeks.

"...I have other patients struggling who can't afford this and who absolutely need this. I have single parents who are struggling with children not sleeping at night. GPs are being pressured to prescribe beyond their competence...There are drugs that are very safe to prescribe but you still require the consultant's blessing."

Figures released last week showed that almost one in six people in the north - 327,189 - is waiting for their first hospital appointment.

One expert estimated it will take £1 billion to clear the north's waiting list - which was already the worst in the NHS prior to the pandemic.

Dr McKenna said he believes the north should have a regional waiting list "instead of people wanting to get seen in their backyard".

"If you're going to have an appointment that's just going to be a one-off or could lead to an operation, then I think you should attend that one. Nowadays, I think most people would have no issue travelling elsewhere if it means they're going to get seen quicker," he said.

"The system is broken. All trusts have waiting list problems. But I think this approach could help to a degree. They're already doing it with operations with elective care centres so why not do it where there is a massive backlog?"