Long-term care waiting list figures have decreased by some 600 patients, Parliamentary Secretary for Rights of Persons with Disability and Active Ageing Justyne Caruana announced yesterday.

Writing on Twitter, Dr Caruana said the number of patients on waiting lists for long-term care had gone down by 29.75 per cent.

On October 1, the waiting list stood at 1,490, down from 2,121 last year.The list shrank due to a more efficient admissions procedure, a Secretariat spokesman said.

“Patients are being admitted to specific long-term care facilities according to their needs, with those who require the most assistance being given priority.”

The patients’ needs are identified by an independent, multidisciplinary team.

This process made it possible for patients to receive the appropriate care immediately and without being moved around different care facilities as was the case before, the spokesman added.

Dr Caruana also said that the waiting lists for patients’ assessments were 34.5 per cent less than last year. This too was attributed to more efficient methods.