British Dental Association Accuses Department of Health of Downplaying Hospital Waiting Times

Concerns Raised Over the Accuracy of My Waiting Times NI Portal

UK: The British Dental Association (BDA) has voiced its concerns about the accuracy of the Department of Health’s My Waiting Times NI portal. Launched in May, the online system is intended to provide patients with information about their likely waiting times for specialist hospital appointments. However, the BDA argues that the portal is significantly underestimating the actual waiting times, with real figures potentially being as much as twice the ones provided.

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Underestimating Waiting Times

The My Waiting Times NI portal initially offered average waiting times for first outpatient hospital appointments and has since expanded to include inpatient and daycase treatments. The BDA’s analysis suggests that the portal systematically underestimates waiting times, a concern that applies to all branches of secondary care.

The reported data is derived from the average of “active waiters,” meaning it includes all individuals on the list at the time of a data refresh. 

However, the BDA argues that this method does not provide clarity on how long an average patient will have to wait for treatment, as new additions to the lists can bring down the overall waiting times. For example, the BDA estimates that, due to this methodology, average routine referrals for the Hospital Orthodontic Department in the Northern Trust may be stated as little as 11 weeks, while audits by frontline staff suggest figures closer to 26 weeks for initial assessments.

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Misrepresentation and Stress

Darren Johnston, the Chair of the BDA’s Northern Ireland Hospital Dental Services Forum, expressed concerns about how the My Waiting Times NI portal misrepresents the situation and adds to the stress faced by both patients and clinicians. He stressed that patients deserve accurate information about their expected wait times, which the current portal fails to provide.

The BDA has deemed the portal system “unhelpful and misleading” and called on the Department of Health to urgently review its data publication methods, ensuring it reflects the actual waiting times for patients across all specialties. The BDA believes that a more effective approach would involve the publication and regular updates of completed case wait times.

Response from the Department of Health

In response to the BDA’s concerns, a spokesperson from the Department of Health acknowledged the impact of long waiting times on patients and their families and the frustration caused by a lack of easily accessible information on expected waiting times. The department argued that the methodology used for My Waiting Times NI ensures a consistent approach to reporting waiting time information for both patients and healthcare professionals.

However, the BDA continues to call for a reevaluation of the portal’s data publication methods, emphasising the need for accuracy and clarity to provide patients with a realistic understanding of their expected waiting times.

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