NHS Grampian patients suffer 8 month wait for tests due to broken scanner

[Northerner]

HUNDREDS of patients have waited up to eight months for diagnostic tests, breaching the Scottish Government's 18-week guarantee.

NHS Grampian said 550 of its patients waited longer than the guaranteed treatment time because of a backlog caused by a broken scanner.

The Scottish Government said it is unacceptable for anyone to wait so long for a diagnostic scan.

NHS Grampian was given the all-clear in a recent audit of waiting times.

All 14 of Scotland's health boards were asked to review their practices earlier this year following concerns that the manipulation of waiting times uncovered at NHS Lothian may be more widespread.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/health/nhs-grampian-backlog-1537356

 

[AlisonM]

Manipulation of the Waiting Times databases seems to be endemic throughout NHS Scotland. It's an issue that came up in one my company must use last year, although it wasn't us being naughty the skewed figures made us look bad by comparison and might have impacted our funding had it not been caught in time. Having said that, if the other databases have been designed as badly as the one inflicted on us, some of the errors in reporting may be down to confusion rather than deliberate obfuscation.

Waiting times in NHS Highland have climbed drastically in the last two years as staffing levels continue to fall because of swingeing cuts in funding. My annual D check was three months late (Christmas instead of September) but only because I phoned up and nagged about it. If I hadn't done that I'd probably still be waiting.