Children forced to wait longer for heart tests and treatment

New figures have revealed an increase in the numbers of children awaiting tests and treatment for heart disease at Our Lady's Hospital in Crumlin.

The statistics from the Patient Treatment Register show a 37% rise over the last year in waiting lists for open heart surgery at the children's hospital.

The average waiting time for a child to get an angiogram heart investigation has doubled from three to six months.

Editor at irishhealth.com Niall Hunter said the situation was likely to get worse with recent cutbacks across all hospitals.