Rise in two-week endoscopy referrals hits routine wait times

Average wait for routine gastroscopy appointment upwards of two years

People referred for an urgent gastroscopy on the Isle of Man can expect to be waiting seven months on average.

The figures for endoscopy procedures; routine, urgent, and two-week wait have been published as part of a Tynwald written answer.

Health Minister Lawrie Hooper, in his response to Rushen MHK Juan Watterson, says it's worth noting that the average waiting time is the mean time and maximum wait is dependent on patient choice - i.e. the patients did not attend the appointment, were not well enough to attend, or due to the cancellation of lists due to a lack of endoscopists.

Recently, Mr Hooper says, there have been a number of 'unforeseen absences of endoscopists and Manx Care has been unable to secure appropriately qualified locum cover to undertake endoscopy procedures due to competing demands for such roles throughout the UK.

'This has led to a reduction in the number of endoscopy sessions that Manx Care can undertake.'

The impact of this is evident in the table supplied in the written response.

It shows some people are waiting 137 days for an urgent colonoscopy whereas the average wait time for a routine gastroscopy is upwards of two years.

Mr Watterson also asked whether use of the 'Restoration and Recovery of Elective Activity' funding has improved the position since October 2022.

The minister says there has been no restoration and recovery waiting list initiatives since March last year adding since then Manx Care has been prioritised the undertaking of endoscopies for two week waiting times (for patients with suspected cancer) and bowel screening - which he says has seen a 10.4 per cent increase in demand over the past twelve months.

All of this, Mr Hooper says, needs to be seen in the context of an increased number of referrals covering all specialities across Manx Care, adding there has been a 22 per cent increase for two week waiting time referrals over the past 12 months.

He adds that Manx Care is planning to reinstate the weekend endoscopy waiting list initiatives, over an eight-week period, to address the waiting lists.