A patient has been waiting more than 81 weeks for a first appointment with a consultant at South West Acute Hospital, it has emerged.
The Western Health and Social Care Trust have advised that the average waiting time for a first consultant led outpatient appointment in the hospital is 19 and a half weeks. 
But Ulster Unionist MLA Rosemary Barton has been told by Health Minister Michelle O’Neill that the longest length of time as of May 2016 was 81 weeks, a delay she describes as “unacceptable.”
“I find it disgraceful that some patients have to wait such an unreasonable period of time in order to avail of crucial surgery and healthcare, which could mean the difference between life or death. I call upon the health minister to take drastic action on escalating waiting lists by urgently reducing the amount of time that patients have to wait for assessments, surgeries and treatments,” she said. 
The Fermanagh-south Tyrone representative is suggesting that the Western Trust consider increasing the number of medical staff at the hospital “immediately” to reduce these times.
“However, I do recognise that missed out patient appointments including first consultations are effectively a loss of capacity and undoubtedly have a significant impact on waiting times. I recognise that many patients have a valid reason for not turning up for their appointments, however, every cancelled appointment at short notice, is a missed opportunity for someone else in dire need to be seen. I urge the public to give hospitals sufficient notice either by telephone or a simple text to enable their appointments to be reallocated, thereby reducing waiting times overall,” she said.
Mrs. Barton believes “better long term planning” is needed and is calling for more money to be made available to support the hospital.
“While short term money to relieve waiting lists in a particular department reduces the waiting list it is only a sticking plaster over a longer term issue. It must be recognised that longer waits for first time consultations can impact emotionally on patients and may have financial consequences on the patient and their family as well as perhaps causing prolonged pain and further damage.
“Waiting lists is one of the issues that I will be bringing to the health minister’s attention in order for her to work with the Western Trust to come to a resolution regarding the challenges facing the South West Acute Hospital,” she said. 
A spokesman for the Western Health and Social Care Trust said it “regrets that any patient should have to wait longer than necessary for an appointment.”
“Patient appointments are based on clinical need and in some cases appointments are based on a regional service provision. The Trust is unable to discuss individual patient cases but can assure those that are waiting, that we are working to improve waiting times,” he said.