Almost 557,000 patients are waiting for a first hospital consultation and thousands more have joined the queue over the last two months, it has emerged.

At the meeting earlier this week with Mr Harris, the IHCA urged Fine Gael, as part of its election pledges, to commit to a selection of goals to ease the health sector’s current crisis

Crumlin Children’s Hospital in Dublin is dealing with more flu cases, respiratory viruses, and the winter vomiting bug.

Urgent action must be taken to achieve a major reduction in public hospital waiting lists, patient advocate, Stephen McMahon, has said.

Almost 68,000 people were waiting for an appointment for an inpatient or day case treatment at the end of September.

The Health Minister has described as “personalised” and “ageist” criticism levelled at him by hospital consultants that he does not have the authority or experience to deliver timely care for patients.

The accuracy of waiting list figures published by the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) has been called into question by a consultant who said the official figures were a “tenfold under-estimation” of the actual situation vis-a-vis his own specialty.

Hospital consultants have unanimously passed a vote of no confidence in Health Minister Simon Harris.

The provision of just 480 acute beds over three years under the HSE's Capital Plan was greeted with extreme disappointment by hospital consultants.

Yesterday, the Government published its Capital Investment Plan for Health Services covering 2019 to 2021. At the same time, the Irish Hospital Consultant Associations was also publishing its Pre-Budget 2020 Submission, writes Martin Varley.

President of the Irish Hospital Consultant Association, Dr Donal O'Hanlon, warned that the acute hospital system is "at breaking point" because of a severe shortage of consultants, beds and other facilities.

It will cost €6.6bn to remove private healthcare from public hospitals — but there is no information in an independent review group report on how this bill will be paid.

The Irish Medical Organisation says there is no evidence that capacity or waiting lists will improve by banning private patients from public hospitals.

Medical consultants are urging Health Minister Simon Harris to set a date for talks on the recruitment crisis.

The lives of critically ill patients are being put at risk as hospitals have less than half of the intensive care consultants needed.

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association's expressing concern that 100 permanent consultant psychiatric jobs remain unfilled.

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) is hitting out at the government over the latest waiting-list figures.

Almost 30,000 women are waiting for an out-patient appointment to see a gynaecologist, an increase of 43% since 2014, it has emerged.

The head of Cork University Hospital (CUH) has said he is satisfied that a full staffing complement will be in place when a new €40m radiation oncology unit opens next October, despite a warning that posts “central to the delivery of cancer care” are either vacant or unfilled.

Fianna Fáil is calling on the Government to address the spiralling cost of health insurance.

A social media campaign being launched today by hospital consultants highlights the increasing waiting times for outpatient appointments.

The Government's response to claims about the state of University Hospital Waterford's mortuary has been described as "alarming" by a group representing over 90% of hospital consultants.

As many as 90% of hospital consultants believe their current workload is unmanageable while 60% believe that their patients’ care is suffering as a result.

Doctors have warned of a “sharp decline” in the standard of patient care against a backdrop of a growing number of vacant consultant posts.

Hospital consultants are warning the country's public hospitals could be facing an extremely damaging crisis in the new year - which could last for months.

The Government has defended settling a claim that will see hefty pay awards for thousands of hospital consultants at a time when 707,000 patients remain on waiting lists.

More than 43,500 public patients missed out on treatment to private patients between 2015 and 2016.

Children are waiting 18 months to see a cardiologist, it has emerged, writes Evelyn Ring.

Ireland’s healthcare system is crumbling with overstretched acute hospitals attempting to treat patients with equipment that is increasingly obsolete, consultants have warned.

Children are waiting 18 months to see a cardiologist, it has emerged.

Paschal Donohoe won’t be the first or last financial controller with an unerring ability to find a few bob down the back of the sofa when the political situation requires it. 

Hospital waiting lists are out of control, consultants have claimed.

Legal action by hundreds of hospital consultants claiming a breach of contract over pay will be “vigorously defended”, the Department of Health says.

Many acute hospitals are using antiquated equipment manufacturers no longer stand over, it has emerged.

The Minister for Health Simon Harris says the trolley crisis is not just the problem of our hospitals.

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association says the Government's failure to deal with the hospital crisis had led to waiting lists spiraling out of control.

As trolley figures remain high, hospital consultants have questioned whether draft plans to tackle emergency department (ED) overcrowding are workable in what they call an absence of a commitment to adequate resources.

The Irish Hospitals Consultants Association has claimed revised HSE pay proposals for its members will fail to attract the number of “high calibre” consultants that are urgently needed.

Proposals that will allow doctors reach the top of their pay scale faster than previously envisaged have been accepted by the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) — ending its dispute with the Government and the HSE.