60,000 waiting for outpatient appointments: Cork consultant warns 'waiting list initiative will constantly be battling Covid-19'

The ongoing battle with Covid-19 will make it difficult for hospitals across Cork and Ireland to tackle waiting lists, a consultant has warned.
More than 60,000 patients are on waiting lists for hospital appointments in Cork.
These numbers include almost 15,000 people who have been waiting more than 18 months, new figures show.
New data from the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) revealed that 63,560 patients are on waiting lists across six Cork hospitals.
Cork University Hospital (CUH) has the highest number of people on its waiting list with 28,431 people awaiting appointments.
South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital (SIVUH) is in second place with 23,333 on its waiting lists.
The figures also show that almost 15,000 people have been waiting for appointments in Cork hospitals for more than 18 months.
This includes almost 8,000 at SIVUH and more than 5,000 at CUH.