Minister praises medical workers over waiting time reductions
Thursday 11th December 2008
A politician has spoken out in praise of the efforts of medical staff in Wales for reducing patient waiting times for diagnostic tests in a number of key areas, News Wales reports.
Edwina Hart, health minister at the Welsh Assembly, made her comments in the wake of figures which indicated that waits for tests such as MRI and CT scans, as well as therapies including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, dietetics and speech and language therapy, had all declined.
According to the statistics, at the end of October, 3,459 patients were waiting for a diagnostic test, compared with 11,500 at the same time last year.
She said: "I want to pay tribute to the hard work and dedication of staff for achieving such significant falls in waits. We need to build on this achievement and ensure is it sustained."
Also receiving praise recently were physiotherapy staff at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.
Double amputee Michael Simpson said that staff at the centre helped him to recover his former lifestyle, the Aberdeen Press and Journal reported.
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