Almost 8,000 people wait for 18 months for consultant at Cork University Hospital

Hospital consultants have described the national waiting list figures as “unacceptable”.

Almost 8,000 people have been waiting longer than 18 months for a first appointment with a consultant at Cork University Hospital.

The Department of Health has insisted that progress is being made to tackle waiting lists around the country despite new figures from the National Treatment Purchase Fund showing little or no improvement in many areas and a worsening situation in others. 

Hospital consultants have described the national waiting list figures as “unacceptable”.

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) said there are now 893,600 people on various types of waiting lists across the country, and this stretches past one million when people waiting for scans are counted.

“Hospital cancellations could exceed 250,000 this year if the rate continues, with 85,000 operations and appointments already cancelled to end of April,” the consultants warned in a statement.

They said spiralling waiting lists are also linked to the fact the health service is not ready for a rapidly increasing population.

Their analysis shows that annual attendance figures at emergency departments rose by 461,000, or 38%, in the last ten years, and the average waiting time to be seen is now approaching 12 hours.

IHCA President Professor Robert Landers urged the Government to produce the beds they have promised.

“The Minister for Health recently announced a rapid build programme to deliver 1,500 additional beds in acute public hospitals to be opened this year and in 2024,” he said.

“The Government needs to commit the promised €1 billion capital budget for the additional capacity urgently.” 

The doctors argue interventions, including Winter Plans, are ultimately “ineffective” as they do not address the underlying problem, the shortage of beds.

Out-patients are also affected, including 85,671 people who have been waiting longer than 18 months for their first appointment with a consultant.

The HSE has previously said patients are prioritised by need.

The IHCA also highlighted 250,021 people waiting for scans, including MRI, CT or ultrasounds, up to May 4 based on information released to Sinn Fein Health spokesman David Cullinane.

“Patients will, unfortunately, continue to languish on trolleys and unacceptable waiting lists, and suffer poorer outcomes as a result, until the Government implements credible, funded, time-bound plans,” the IHCA said.

More beds and the filling of 900 doctor posts which are either unfilled or filled by a locum doctor on a temporary basis are needed, the IHCA said.

“Daily there are around 550 patients which consultants have clinically discharged from hospital, but who are waiting often months for step-down care to be arranged, while a similar number of admitted patients are being treated on a trolley while awaiting a bed,” Prof Landers said.

A Department of Health spokesman said progress is being made against some targets, but conceded: “This progress, however, has been offset by a higher-than-expected additions to waiting lists.” He said it is expected the 2023 Waiting List Action Plan will see results as winter pressures ease.

“The HSE attributes the higher than anticipated additions to waiting lists to several factors, including post-pandemic pent-up demand, and highlights it is also the case internationally e.g., the NHS in Britain is seeing higher additions compared to previous years,” he said.