Nearly 80,000 patients awaiting procedures across Cork hospitals

Nearly 80,000 people are awaiting procedures in Cork hospitals, including over 9,000 children, the latest figures from the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) have revealed.

A total of 79,655 people are awaiting medical treatment, with 62,600 adults and 8,556 children awaiting outpatient procedures, and a further 7,800 adults and 699 children on waiting lists for inpatient procedures.

South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital had the highest number of people waiting for treatment, with 31,642 adults and 3,556 children on lists for outpatient and 4,060 adults and 288 children on lists for inpatient treatment.

There are also a significant number of people on waiting lists in Cork University Hospital (CUH) — 19,508 adults and 4,398 children for outpatient procedures, as well as 1,653 adults and 409 children for inpatient procedures.

This marks a significant reduction in people on waiting lists in CUH, which had more than 30,000 adults and 6,000 children on waiting lists for outpatient treatment this summer.

This has contributed to an overall decrease in the figures — December 2024’s total of 79,655 patients is down from 82,575 the month previous and from 82,335 in December of 2023.

December 2024’s figures also include 5,019 adults and one child waiting for outpatient treatment as well as 686 adults waiting for inpatient treatment at Mercy University Hospital.

Additionally, there are 1,783 adults and 56 children awaiting outpatient treatment and 693 adults and two children awaiting inpatient appointments in Cork University Maternity Hospital, according to the December figures.

Finally, 3,978 adults and 545 children are on outpatient lists and 426 adults on inpatient lists in Mallow General Hospital, while 670 adults are waiting for outpatient and 282 adults are waiting for inpatient treatment in Bantry General Hospital.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health said “significant progress continues to be made in terms of the length of time patients are waiting”.

“Almost 85% of patients have been waiting less than a year.

“And in terms of the longest waiting patients, in comparison with the same time last year there has been a 12% reduction in the total number of patients waiting over 12 months, and a corresponding reduction of 20% in the number waiting over 18 months,” they said.

They added that “continuing improvements” in the outpatient department waiting list “have contributed to an overall reduction in the total outpatient waiting list for the fourth month in a row”.

The spokesperson said the department is “engaging with the HSE and NTPF to continue with the waiting list action plan approach in 2025”.