The HSE says it is undertaking an ‘ultrasound initiative’ to deal with long waiting times at Ennis General Hospital.
It follows recent figures published by the Executive, which showed that target waiting times for the diagnostic scans were being missed in local hospitals.
HSE-published Healthstat figures for January showed that patients referred to Ennis General Hospital for ultrasound scans by consultants were waiting around six months for their procedures.
When referred by GP’s, the waiting times were over 200 days – the target in both circumstances is 70.
Local representatives branded the delays as unacceptable, but the HSE says it is now taking action.
In a statement to Clare FM, a spokesperson for the HSE said that the waiting list for ultrasounds at Clare’s County Hospital has been reduced from 449 patients to 224 over the past six weeks.
The spokesperson goes onto say that they expect the issue will be resolved in the coming weeks, though it will be some time before this is reflected in the Executive’s self-assessments.
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