Over 800,000 on hospital waiting lists, latest figures show

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One in three people who aren't privately insured are on a hospital waiting list.

New figures from the National Treatment Purchase Fund show around 11,800 were added to list in May.

That brings the total number of citizens who are waiting for healthcare to over 800,000.

Spokesperson for the Irish Patients Association Stephen McMahon, says these issues aren't new:

"The problems that we had the day before Covid-19 in our health system still exist," he said, outlining overcrowding, lack of capacity and waiting lists as issues that are still prevalent in the health system.

"Everything was put in to try and flatten the curve of Covid-19 and that was successful.

"Now we have to deal with patients who have been waiting for years to get their operations and indeed years to see a consultant," he added.