Long-term care waiting lists halved at HUS

The number of patients waiting more than six months for care at the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS) halved between January and March, according to the organisation’s interim report.

At the end of March, 2,507 patients had waited over six months, down from 5,265 at the start of the year. Some 91.2 percent of patients received specialised care within the statutory care guarantee.

Chief executive Matti Bergendahl said waiting lists for orthopedic surgery and ophthalmology in particular had been significantly shortened during the early part of the year. According to Bergendahl, access to care has continued to develop favourably after March.

In January, HUS opened its own joint replacement hospital in Helsinki to speed up access. The hospital, Orton, focuses on hip and knee replacement surgeries and began operations in early April.

The estimated cost of the care backlog was approximately 17.4 million euros at the end of March.

HUS treats 700,000 patients annually and is responsible for organising specialised care in the Uusimaa region. It also centralises treatment of rare and severe diseases for patients from other regions.