Hospital waiting list soars by 88%

The number of people waiting more than six months for hospital appointments has soared since the start of this year.

New figures revealed by the Department of Health show that despite Health Minister Dr James Reilly’s repeated attempts to cut times, the number of patients waiting more than half a year has risen by a massive 88% since December.

The situation emerged just a day after the minister announced €18m of “new” funds to tackle the issue, and two years after he set up the Special Delivery Unit to address emergency department and waiting list problems.