Consultants warns of overcrowding time-bomb

Hospital consultants have warned that our health service is facing an overcrowding crisis.

The Irish Hospital Consultants' Association has said services must be expanded urgently to avoid 10 more years of waiting lists and overcrowding at A&E units.

General Secretary of the IHCA, Finbarr Fitzpatrick, says our ageing population will add to the current problem.

He estimates that over the next 15 years Ireland’s population will grow by about one million people, which, he says, will generate almost 400,000 extra attendances in A&E units and another 130,000 admissions in hospitals.

“We have to start to plan now to expand the capacity of the hospitals. If we don't do it then well we will be playing catch up with the same problems of waiting lists and overcrowding for another generation,” Mr Fitzpatrick said.