Children on waiting lists facing 'ticking timebomb' of health issues

29,000 children are on hospital waiting lists for 18 months or more, consultants say. File picture

Children are facing a "ticking timebomb" of health issues, with 29,000 stuck on hospital waiting lists for 18 months or more, consultants have warned.

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association analysed waiting list data from the National Treatment Purchase Fund and found 97,000, or one in 12, of the country's children are now awaiting care. Of those, 38,600 have so far been waiting for more than a year.