Hospital waiting lists in Ireland continue to deteriorate.
Latest figures just published show that there were 857,290 people waiting in August for some kind of acute hospital care.
By far the biggest list within the overall figures are those waiting to be seen, for the first time, by a consultant at an outpatient clinic.
That number has risen to a whopping 629,711 people.
These people are waiting to be assessed to be put on a proper waiting list for treatment. It’s a vicious circle.
As the overall figures grow longer, people will also wait longer.
It’s a very serious situation and why many patients are seeking other options like healthcare abroad.
After the publication of the latest figures, hospital consultants in Ireland warned that the overall figures are likely to spiral further.
Why? Well one of the big reasons they say is because there are almost 900 vacant consultant posts. Without these consultants there is simply not the specialist workforce to perform the vital operations.
Consultants predict that waiting lists may increase by over 20,000 this year, instead of the target reduction of 132,000 (18%) despite the much heralded €350 million Waiting List Action Plan.
Are waiting list figures being massaged? Maybe they are much worse than the official figures?
The Irish Hospital Consultants Association said that 49,500 people were removed from waiting lists without any treatment in the first six months of this year, through what health officials call ‘validation’ of lists.
We need much more transparency on the true lists and why people might be cut from them.
The real figures are probably much worse!
