Labour propose seven ways to cut hospital waiting lists

Long waiting lists at Mater Dei Hospital can be addressed by sub-contracting operations to private hospitals and carrying out medical audits to ensure all patients are followed up on, the Labour Party has proposed.

The party proposed seven measures to address hospital waiting lists, a problem which was raised by the Ombudsman last week.

The Labour Party spokesmen for social policy and health, Michael Farrugia and Anthony Zammit said the government needed to introduce better hospital management.

It also had to make better use of operating theatres, forge a partnership with employees to work after hours to enable more operations to be performed, while increasing the number of consultants and specialists.

The government should also assure all those on the waiting lists that their operation will be performed within a defined period, while carrying out a medical audit to ensure all patients are properly followed up.

Ombudsman Joseph Said Pullicino last week criticised hospital waiting lists, which remained "shrouded by a thick veil of unaccountable criteria", and pointed his finger at consultants who, he said, maintained a stranglehold on the way operations were scheduled.

He criticised the fact that consultants had their own individual appointment diary, rather than a more accountable, centralised system of appointments.

The Medical Association replied that the long waiting lists were not caused by the system in place but by staff and bed shortages.

In agreement with this, Social Policy Minister John Dalli, speaking during a debate on Tuesday, said the key to resolving the situation lay in opening the 13 unused operating theatres at Mater Dei, pointing out that only 12 of 25 operating theatres were being used due to lack of nursing and medical staff.