Reilly: ‘Herculean effort’ on year-long lists

A 50,000 cut in one month in the number of outpatients waiting more than a year for appointments has been put down to “Herculean efforts” in the health service.

Explaining the decrease, James Reilly, the health minister, said “all the stops were pulled out” in December, including directing surgeons unable to use theatre to treating outpatients.

Dr Reilly claimed that, by the end of December, about 5,000 patients were waiting for outpatient appointments for more than a year, down from 56,000 in November.