More than 37,000 hospital ops cancelled last year

More than 37,000 hospital operations were cancelled last year, almost 13,000 more than the figure recorded the previous year.

The figures were released by the HSE to Fianna Fáil’s health spokesperson, Billy Kelleher, who has “serious concerns” about hospitals being able to provide the necessary care and services.

There were some 24,571 cancellations in 2015 and 37,491 last year, a 52% year-on-year increase.

The worst affected hospital was University Hospital Galway — it had some 5,272 procedures cancelled last year.

Mayo University Hospital cancelled 2,249 operations, while Sligo University Hospital cancelled 1,654.

“Limerick, South Tipperary, Waterford, and the Midland Regional, Tullamore, all saw more than 1,000 operations cancelled,” Mr Kelleher pointed out.

He said it was unacceptable that tens of thousands of medical procedures were being cancelled every year.

“This only serves to push the problem further down the road and has the potential to lead to complications for patients who have had their procedures delayed.”

There were 417 admitted patients waiting for a hospital bed yesterday, according to figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.

Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar had the highest number of admitted patients on trolleys with 34.

University Hospital Limerick, Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise, and Letterkenny General Hospital in Co Donegal each had 31, the second highest figure.

Today, Health Minister Simon Harris will travel to Paris to attend an OECD health ministerial meeting with health ministers from over 35 OECD and partner countries. Ministers will address issues including how to ensure sustainable access to innovative treatments and how to tackle ineffective health spending.

Speaking ahead of the event, Mr Harris said he was “particularly looking forward to continuing my discussions with ministers on international collaboration to secure better outcomes in relation to accessing new drugs”.