Report reveals shortfall in target waiting times

The Health Service Executive has admitted that two out of every five patients wait longer than its target of six hours to be seen in Accident and Emergency departments.

The figure was revealed in the HSE's annual report for 2010, which also outlines where the Health Service has made cost savings over the last year.

According to the HSE, it made almost €145m in savings last year through reductions in the cost of procuring goods and services as well as reductions in the cost of drugs.

In 2010, the number of people working in the HSE fell by 1,781, but almost a thousand of the staff cuts came in nursing.

In terms of waiting lists, more than 7,400 adults waited more than six months for elective surgery, while more than 2,600 children waited more than three months.

In A&E departments, two out of five people wait more than six hours to be seen.

The HSE said it needs to improve the waiting time for non-urgent colonscopies, but it has met its 28-day target for emergency cases.

The HSE said it is working to improve the level of absenteesim among staff, which stands at 4.7%.

Another area of concern is the revelation that just one in five disability assessments for children under five is completed within the necessary time frame.