Over 1,700 surgical procedures cancelled or postponed in January

More than 1,700 scheduled surgical procedures were cancelled or postponed at Irish hospitals in the month of January.

The cancellations stemmed from the latest crisis in Emergency Departments.

The HSE figures include 1,044 inpatient cases and 711 day cases which were cancelled or postponed.

The number of procedures being postponed looks set to rise again as the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation says there were 557 people awaiting admission on hospital trolleys this morning, up from 551 yesterday.

At Cork University Hospital, there were 34 day case cancellations and 177 inpatient cancellations during January.

In Beaumont Hospital, eight day cases and 19 inpatient cases were cancelled. Beaumont is one of the hospitals were overcrowding is worse, but more may have been put off that are not in the figures.

Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda cancelled two inpatient procedures, according the figures, yet again that hospital has one of the worst records on overcrowding.

In Letterkenny in Donegal, 55 daycare cases and 7 inpatient cases were cancelled.

Kilkenny say 105 day cases were cancelled.

In St. Vincent’s, 48 day cases and 58 inpatient procedures were cancelled.

Portaloise saw seven day cases and seven inpatient procedures cancelled.