29,000 waiting for respiratory care — but no national policy in place

Prof. Eddie Moloney, consultant respiratory physician and president of the Irish Thoracic Society.

Respiratory illnesses are the single largest cause of hospital admissions in Ireland, but there is no national policy dedicated to helping these patients, the Irish Thoracic Society has warned.

Almost 29,000 people were waiting to see a consultant about respiratory illnesses in July, with one in five waiting more than a year. The Irish Thoracic Society said this was a higher proportion than across most other specialties.