Cataracts, C-sections, and hip replacements the most common surgeries

In 2021, 33,348 cataract surgeries were carried out, the highest by far in the 21 years of data released. File photo: Rui Vieira/PA

Cataracts were the most common surgery carried out in Ireland during 2021, followed by caesarean sections and hip replacements, new Department of Health data shows.

That year 33,348 cataract surgeries were carried out, the highest by far in the 21 years of data released and more than double the 2019 tally.

Some 21,523 women had a caesarean section. The data shows this figure has, with the exceptions of 2014 and 2020, increased annually since 11,366 were done in the year 2000.

A total of 11,159 hip replacements were carried out in 2021, up from 6,195 during 2019 before the pandemic.

Overall during 2021 some 707,764 people were discharged from Irish hospitals; among them were 20,602 patients discharged from psychiatric care. 

The National Healthcare Statistics data, published on Monday, also shows 14,567 hospital beds in use during 2021, with 11% used for psychiatric care. In long-term residential care, including nursing homes, there were 31,842 beds available, which the department said is “a decrease of 0.8% from the previous year”.

Health worker numbers for last year show 4,210 midwives practicing in Ireland, which the department said is “a decrease of 3.8% from the previous year”. However, the number of nurses rose by 5.8% to 67,808 last year with 49% of practising nurses trained outside of Ireland. India, the UK and the Philippines were the top three countries from which they came, the figures show. 

Likewise for doctors licenced to practise in Ireland during 2021, out of 25,959 doctors some 40.4% had trained abroad initially. Pakistan, Sudan and the UK were the top countries from where doctors had come.

While 20,256 of those doctors were actually working that year, the department said this is “an increase of 17.6% from the previous year”.

Health spend

Meanwhile, reports at the weekend indicated a row over the health spend brewing between Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform Paschal Donohoe.

Letters released to the Sunday Business Post show Minister Donohoe thinks a potential health overrun of €2bn is an “unprecedented level of financial risk” for the State.

Responding to the dispute, Irish Patients Association’s Stephen McMahon queried why this huge figure is getting less attention than smaller amounts being disputed in the RTÉ controversy. “Who is accountable for this (spend),” he said.

He added: “I’m calling for a root-and-branch review of how money is spent in the HSE, and a value-for-money review. We are way overdue for a value-for-money audit in the health system.” 

He also pointed to the many families waiting on the new National Children’s Hospital to be finished, even as the Government goes out to tender for a new maternity hospital, also in Dublin.

“How can we have confidence in what is going to be another huge investment by the State, that it is actually going to function?” he said. 

Mr McMahon called for the children’s hospital board to publish what has been learned during the construction process to help lessen the chances of further over-runs.