Almost 75,000 people on hospital waiting lists in Cork 

Almost 75,000 people are on hospital waiting lists in Cork, latest figures show. 

As of April 28 of this year, there were a total of 74,843 people awaiting both outpatient and inpatient treatment across Cork hospitals.

At Cork University Hospital (CUH) there were a total of 33,049 outpatient patients awaiting treatment, of whom 9,674 were waiting 18 months or more.

Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) had 2,628 people awaiting outpatient treatment while there were 3,204 people awaiting outpatient treatment at Mallow General Hospital.

The Mercy University Hospital (MUH) had 6,820 people awaiting outpatient treatment and the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital (SIVUH) had 21,491 people waiting. 

Bantry General Hospital had 1,446 people awaiting outpatient treatment and the hospital had 156 people awaiting inpatient treatment.

CUH had a total of 1,445 people awaiting inpatient treatment, while CUMH had 456 people awaiting treatment.

Mallow General Hospital had 176 people awaiting inpatient treatment, MUH had 1,193 people on waiting lists for inpatient treatment and there were 2,779 people awaiting inpatient treatment at SIVUH.

The latest figures come as consultants voice concern that Sláintecare targets are still decades away from being a reality.

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) said this week that waiting lists and capacity deficits continue to grow with limited progress being made in what is the halfway point in the Government's 10-year plan. Monday marked five years since the launch of Sláintecare which pledged shorter wait times for public hospital outpatient, inpatient/day case and diagnostic appointments.

IHCA President Professor Alan Irvine said: “There has been a 54% increase in people waiting on some form of hospital list since the plan was launched in 2017 – with almost 900,000 adults and children across the country in need of care, things are worryingly moving in the wrong direction."

He said that Sláintecare waiting list targets "are not achievable" because public hospitals "have a severe shortage of consultants, theatres, acute beds, diagnostic and other facilities."

Prof Irvine said that unless the root causes of deficits are addressed, “it could be decades before the waiting time goals can be achieved”.