Guernsey healthcare report shows thousands more cared for but wait times below target

Guernsey Hospital
The longest waiting lists are for gastroenterology and orthopaedics. Credit: ITV Channel

One in 23 Guernsey residents are waiting for inpatient appointments, a new Health and Social Care (HSC) report has found.

Thousands more patients were cared for by secondary healthcare services during 2023 compared to the previous year but wait times are below target, with the longest lists for gastroenterology and orthopaedics.

Guernsey's Medical Director Dr Peter Rabey said: "We still have large numbers on waiting lists in those two specialities and we've been focusing really hard to reduce them.

"In gastroenterology, we got a visiting team to do over 500 patients last year and we took over 1000 patients off the waiting list last year in total."

Orthopaedics also saw a 22% reduction in cancelled operations following the opening of the dedicated De Havilland Ward at the end of 2022.

Overall, more than 2,800 islanders are waiting for inpatient appointments.

Medical Specialist Group Chair, Dr Steve Evans, said: "None of us want to see our patients waiting longer than they should and we are determined to continue to do all we can with HSC to reduce waiting times."