Patients forgoing operations because they can’t afford to take time off work, says WHSCT boss
People are forgoing operations because they can’t afford to take time off work to undergo procedures, Chief Executive Neil Guckian has suggested.
Mr. Guckian told the Stormont Health Committee Do Not Attends ‘continue to be an issue’ and income is a factor in some cases.
“We've done audits and phoned patients to find out the underlying causes because we are asking patients to travel further so we wanted to make sure was that the reason.
"Now people have told us that that is not the reason why they are not turning up. But we phone them three days before their operation to ask them if they are definitely coming for their operation and still people aren't coming.
“I believe it is linked to social deprivation and people do not want to admit that they can't take days of work.
“They are forgoing their operation at the expense of maintaining their livelihood. I think that's a sad indictment of our society,” he said.