IMO: Waiting lists are elder abuse

The HSE has been accused of "elder abuse" over the way it manages elderly people on waiting lists amid anger over claims that it has massaged waiting times for outpatients.

Health Minister Leo Varadkar yesterday said he had spoken to the HSE about claims over the weekend that an internal HSE memo had referred to ways of manipulating figures for outpatient waiting times for procedures.

Mr Varadkar said any figures that had been massaged were “no good to me” and claimed: “The only waiting lists I am interested in are accurate ones that allow us to plan services.”