Over 800 wait more than four years to see consultant

Over 800 people are waiting more than four years to see a hospital consultant, it has emerged.

The people have been referred to consultants’ out-patients departments by their general practitioner.

Just under 5,000 of the 200,000-plus people on hospital waiting lists have been waiting between three and four years for an appointment, according to the Health Service Executive’s latest performance report.

Waterford Regional Hospital has the highest number of people on the lists for 12 months or more at 18,925.

Cork South Infirmary/Victoria Hospital is next with 8,363.

The figures show 158,850 people are waiting 12 months or less for an appointment, while 45,959 have been waiting more than a year.

Chief operation officer with the Special Delivery Unit, Tony O’Brien, said yesterday that too many people were waiting too long to get out-patient appointments.

The SDU was established by the Department of Health over a year ago to unblock access to acute hospitals by improving flow of patients through the system.