ew figures show that there are over 288,500 people on outpatient waiting lists at Dublin hospitals.

This is an increase of 9,500 this year alone.

The data from the Irish Hospital Consultants Association shows that the number of patients waiting longer than a year for hospital treatment has risen by 18% since 2015.

The group has warned that the ongoing shortage of hospital consultants, across a large number of specialties in Dublin’s acute hospitals, means patients cannot get access to timely, high-quality medical and surgical care and is contributing massively to growing waiting lists in the region.

More than 35,500 patients are waiting for inpatient, or day case treatment at Dublin hospitals, representing 45% of the national figure of 79,363 at the end of September.

This rise in waiting lists is despite the Government’s €350 m Waiting List Action Plan which has set a target of cutting waiting lists for outpatients, inpatients and day case treatment and gastrointestinal scopes by 18% by the end of this year.

The new data shows that Dublin hospitals are experiencing the greatest growth in outpatient waiting lists this year.

Let’s look at some of the hospitals:

• National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh, outpatient waiting list up by 48%.
• St Columcille’s up by 33%.
• Beaumont up by 22%.
• Connolly Hospital up by 13%.With just over eight weeks to the end of the year, it’s clear the Government’s hospital waiting list targets cannot be met and the headache will be carried into 2023.