More than 86,000 adults and children on hospital waiting lists in Cork

MORE than 86,000 people have been recorded on hospital waiting lists in Cork as the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) questions claims by the Department of Health that the Government’s Waiting List Action Plan is running ‘ahead of target’.

A total of 86,424 patients, including children, are on waiting lists in Cork, according to National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) figures.

The €443m Waiting List Action Plan set a target to reduce waiting lists for outpatient appointments and inpatient and day case treatment by 10% (-69,000) by the end of the year, compared with the number waiting at the start of 2023.

The latest figures confirm that nationally almost 18,200 additional people have been added to these waiting lists, resulting in a shortfall of 63,700.

The IHCA said while the number of patients treated or removed from the waiting lists may be above target, additions to waiting lists in the same period have been much higher than projected.

Cork figures 

The NTPF figures show there were 69,782 adult patients on waiting lists for outpatient appointments in Cork as of August 31. There were 1,068 adult patients awaiting outpatient appointments at Bantry General Hospital (BGH); 31,613 at Cork University Hospital (CUH); 2,690 at Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH); 3,647 at Mallow General Hospital; 6,040 at the Mercy University Hospital (MUH); and 24,724 at South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital (SIVUH).

Children awaiting appointments 

There were also a total of 8,976 children on outpatient waiting lists in Cork, including 5,473 at CUH; 43 at CUMH; 372 at Mallow General Hospital; 400 at MUH; and 2,688 at SIVUH.

The number of adults on inpatient waiting lists in Cork was 7,129 as of August 31. There were 176 adult patients awaiting inpatient treatment at Bantry General; 1,306 at CUH; 820 at CUMH; 288 at Mallow General Hospital; 949 at MUH; and 3,590 at SIVUH.

There were also a total of 537 children on inpatient waiting lists in Cork, including 236 awaiting inpatient treatment at CUH; 71 awaiting treatment at MUH; and 230 awaiting treatment at SIVUH.

IHCA president Robert Landers called on the Government to commit the estimated €4bn in capital funding in October’s budget to build and open essential additional hospital beds, theatres, diagnostics, and other facilities announced by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly in order to cut waiting lists.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the Emergency Department Taskforce, which was attended by Mr Donnelly, took place yesterday. The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation had called for the meeting following concerns about significant hospital overcrowding coupled with unmet recruitment and retention targets.