More than 83,000 people on hospital waiting lists in Cork

MORE than 83,000 people were on hospital waiting lists in Cork as of the end of last month, according to the latest National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) figures.

This represents an increase of 775 people compared to the end of December when there were 82,235 people awaiting treatment.

Nationally, as of January 25, there were 86,288 people on the inpatient/day case waiting lists – 8,064 of whom were waiting for treatment in Cork hospitals.

The highest figure in Cork was at South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital (SIVUH) where there were 4,216 people waiting.

This was followed by Cork University Hospital (CUH) where there were 1,647 people awaiting treatment and Mercy University Hospital (MUH) where there were 983.

Meanwhile, there were 568,691 people on outpatient waiting lists nationally – 74,946 of whom were waiting to be seen in Cork hospitals.

Of these lists, the highest in Cork was at CUH where 35,432 people were waiting to be seen, followed by SIVUH (26,600) and MUH (5,927).

Sláintecare targets 

The Department of Health said that, since the pandemic peaks there has been approximately a 25% reduction in the number of people waiting longer than the Sláintecare targets.

“The total waiting list exceeding the 10- and 12-week Sláintecare targets at the end of January 2024 was 472,628 which is an 8% (42,655) decrease since the end of February 2023 (when the NTPF first began publishing monthly figures on Sláintecare wait times),” it said.

It noted that the month of January is “traditionally one when limited elective care is delivered due to the surge in demand for unscheduled care post-Christmas and because of high levels of respiratory illness circulating”.

It also highlighted that a total funding package of €407m for 2024 is being allocated to tackle waiting lists. 

However, the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) says this represents a €36m decrease compared with the allocation in 2023.

The association is urging the Government to increase funding and honour its pledge to provide treatment in 2024 to all clinically suitable patients waiting more than three months on the inpatient and day case waiting list.

IHCA president Prof Rob Landers said the delivery of the six surgical hubs and the long-awaited elective hospitals must also be accelerated “in order to provide the capacity that is required to meet all of these reduction targets”.

'We must deliver infrastructure'

This was echoed by Fine Gael TD for Cork North Central Colm Burke, the party’s spokesperson on health.

Last month, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly announced that progress has been made on the planned delivery of the surgical hubs nationally, including one at CUH where Mr Donnelly said a planning application has been lodged and enabling works are underway.

The hubs are being developed to impact on day-case waiting lists in advance of the delivery of regional elective hospitals.

Mr Burke, while welcoming Cork’s proposed surgical hub, stressed the need to “fast track the rollout of the design and the application for planning permission” for Cork’s elective hospital, earmarked for development on the campus of St Stephen’s Hospital in Glanmire.

“It’s extremely important that we move in the fastest possible time period,” he said.

Mr Burke pointed out that the population of Cork has increased significantly over the past number of decades and will continue to increase.

“We now must deliver the infrastructure to provide the healthcare for the expected further increase in population as well as the existing population.

“It’s fine to increase staff, but staff can only work in the infrastructure that’s available to them,” he said.