Up to a year waiting list to see a specialist at Jersey's hospital

Some outpatients in Jersey are having to wait almost a year for an appointment to see a specialist.

For neurology, the waiting time is 48 weeks - it had been 18 months in 2011.

The health department say that they are trying to be more efficient, but are facing increasing demand which means that greater efficiency alone will not solve the waiting list problem.

St Clement Deputy Gerard Baudains has tackled the health minister after it was revealed that last year more than 4,000 patients had to wait on average more than five months to see a hospital consultant.

Health Minister Deputy Anne Pryke has outlined the recruitment of additional specialists and says the outpatients clinic is being refurbished this year to allow more efficient use.

However, Deputy Pryke says waiting times depend on a range of factors including increases in referrals; unforeseen breaks in service provision; staff sickness and absence.

The minister says her department is always looking for ways to reduce waiting times by maximising current resources, including staff and facilities. "Despite this", she said "there is a trend for increased demand across HSSD services which cannot be matched by improvements in efficiency alone. The redesign and investment outlined in the White Paper will help to address this".