Patients wait 600 days to see consultant

PATIENTS are waiting up to 600 days to see a consultant at outpatient clinics in some hospitals around the country, according to the Health Service Executive performance information system HealthStat.

The specialities with the longest waiting times include orthopaedics (disorders of the bones and joints); otolaryngology (or ENT — ear, nose, neck and throat disorders); and general surgery.

The hospitals with the longest waiting times include Tallaght Hospital, Cavan General, Kerry General, Louth, and Portlaoise, where the average waiting time for orthopaedic patients is 600 days.