Out-patient referral wait times criticised

LONG waiting times of up to five years for referral to hospital out-patient services are unacceptable and unsafe, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has said.

The state’s watchdog on health wants faster and safer GP to consultant referrals, with waiting times of less than 90 days.

The authority has described management of patient referrals as poor, with anecdotal evidence suggesting it could be up to four or five years in some cases.