Dermatology patients in Jersey face more than six-month wait for first appointment
ITV Channel reporter Emma Volney investigates Jersey's dermatology waiting lists
Dermatology waiting lists have soared in Jersey with hundreds of patients waiting months or even up to a year to be seen.
Figures show that more than 750 patients are waiting more than six months for their first dermatology appointment.
Patient Jean Lelliott was first referred by her GP nine months ago and says at Christmas she was told she was on a waiting list for an appointment.
However, when she phoned up to check last week she says the hospital explained they did not have her doctor's letter and she was not on any waiting list.
Jean added: "It means I go back to the queue again I guess.
"I would say to anyone who hasn't had a letter to say they're on a waiting list to check that they haven't been lost in the system somewhere."
Jean has since been offered an appointment in June.
Dermatologist Dr Ian Whitcroft says he has seen new patient referrals quadruple since the Covid pandemic.
He explained: "I think it's a problem everywhere. I talk to my hospital colleagues, we're all struggling because the post-pandemic tidal wave had a great impact and you're trying to play catch up on top of an already busy workload, it's very difficult."
In a statement, the government said they are trying to deploy additional resources to work through the backlog.
It said the appointment of a dedicated GP and the introduction of extra clinics means urgent referrals are now able to be seen within two weeks.