Hospital waiting lists keep getting longer

Photo: Toomas Huik

Decrease of treatment episodes, additional resources channelled into salaries, lengthening of visit times and various other factors are gradually dragging patients’ waiting lists.

«Recently, I desired to get registered for a visit. Of two large hospitals which have the specialists, one said there are no free-of-charge vacancies, the other only showing paid visit options from February to May, with nothing left for June,» says Heidi, from Tallinn. She is referring to Western Tallinn Central Hospital (LTKH) and North Estonian Regional Hospital (PERH).

For those who do not know: free visit time is better defined «cheaper», as a fee will have to be paid anyhow – it is, however, the Health Insurance Fund that pays and manages the waiting lists. In Heidi’s case, we are not talking about the specific sickness nor specialty of the sought-for expert – but, rather the length of waiting lists and availability of health care. Or, to be more precise, the unavailability of any health care – the impossibility to even get into a waiting list.

And the example is no exception, rather the new rule. As the writer of this article tried to register for LTKH and PERH visits – both have e-registration for ID-card use – and realised that free visit times are indeed not available with very many medical specialists. Only paid times are available – but not always. In some cases, the picture is totally blank. It is worth mentioning, however, that upon checking LTKH again on March 1^st, then – as if by magic – many vacancies had popped up at formerly booked times (only a day before).

Obviously, LTKH reviews its schedules at the start of a new month, hence the vacancies. In the case of PERH, there was no such difference. For an urologist, for instance, PERH has no free times, and only two paid options in April – the next paid chance coming only in December. Also, no vacancies for endocrinologist or cardiologist.

For general practitioner, the first open slot comes May 13^th, rheumatologists have one free day in second half of March – with April all full. Foot doctors have two paid times at end of April – otherwise only paid options or nothing at all for next six months. Neurologist offers, for upcoming half a year, only May 29^th for free visits. The list could go on and on.

Quite often, one simply has no chance to enter a waiting list. Talking to different people and reading various advices, all kinds of ideas are offered. One is supposed to be vigilant and check for vacancies at all times. Usually, the beginning of a month is a good time, for it is then that the hospitals set their schedules and open up waiting lists. There is no unified system, however.

Health Insurance Fund head Tanel Ross claims to be aware of all the problems. He knows that people can’t register at all, that hospitals «open» waiting lists quite at random, and that the methodology of measuring waiting lists doesn’t work. Mr Ross admits that talk about waiting list length is pretty unspecific.

However, the problem really is a priority for Health Insurance Fund and, according to him, they happen to be busy, right now, doing a study and altering methods of waiting list measurements.

«I could be more specific in April, by then we should have lots of new information, says Mr Ross. «We should have a clear picture, by then, of the reality of the waiting lists situation.»

And, just because of the above-mentioned case, both Health Insurance Fund and Ministry of Social affairs are working towards creating some unified digital register – let’s call it an internet portal – linked to databases of all medical institutions, where people may enter and book visits to any doctor in any hospital.