Over 4,000 patients on waiting list for cardiology care in Cork hospitals

More than 4,000 people are on a waiting list for a first-time cardiology appointment in Cork, with referrals up by 10.4%, new data shows.

The figures were provided by the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) and the Health Service Executive (HSE), showing that there are approximately 4,088 people in Cork waiting on a first-time cardiology appointment across Cork University Hospital (CUH), Mercy University Hospital, Bantry General Hospital, and Mallow General Hospital.

Of the 4,088 people waiting for a cardiology appointment, approximately 4,068 are outpatients and 20 are in-patients.

Among those out-patients, 2,538 are waiting for appointments at CUH; 798 at Mercy University Hospital; 37 at Bantry General Hospital; and 695 at Mallow General Hospital.

At CUH, 896 people have been waiting for between zero and three months; 694 have been waiting for between three and six months; 489 have been waiting for between six and nine months; 356 have been waiting for between nine and 12 months; and 103 have been waiting for between 12 and 15 months.

At Mercy University Hospital, 326 people have been waiting for between zero and three months; 287 have been waiting for between three and six months; 110 have been waiting for between six and nine months; and five have been waiting for between nine and 12 months.

At Bantry General Hospital, 24 people have been waiting for between zero and three months, and 13 have been waiting for between three and six months.

MALLOW GENERAL

At Mallow General Hospital, 210 people have been waiting for between zero and three months, 168 have been waiting for between three and six months, 144 have been waiting for between six and nine months, 139 have been waiting for between nine and 12 months, and 34 have been waiting for between 12 and 15 months.

These figures represent the number of public patients waiting on their first outpatient appointment, inclusive of those who have a date for an appointment and those who are waiting on a date for an appointment.

In terms of inpatients waiting for a first-time cardiology appointment, 19 have been waiting at CUH for between zero and three months and one has been waiting at Mercy University Hospital for between zero and three months.

Speaking to The Echo, Fine Gael Cork North Central TD, Colm Burke, who is a Minister of State at the Department of Health, said that a resolution must be found to alleviate this “substantial” waitlist.

“We need to identify why this list is so big, and why people are waiting beyond six months [for an appointment],” said Mr Burke.

“I would be concerned about anyone with a cardiology issue – time is so important with regards to people being assessed and what treatment is required.

“My view in relation to any substantial waiting list is that it needs to be identified why the waiting list is that big; what plan is being put in place to deal with it, and what is the time factor that we’re going to put in as a target for people to be seen.” 

Social Democrats Cork South Central TD, Pádraig Rice said that it is "unacceptable to force anyone to wait so long for such a crucial service”.

“The longer people wait for a cardiology appointment, the higher the chance is that their health deteriorates," said Mr Rice.

“These figures are just another example of the deepening crisis in our health system that must be urgently addressed.” 

According to a spokesperson for the HSE South West branch, outpatient referrals for cardiology have increased by 10.4% in Cork, as there were 4,457 referrals made between January and July in 2025, versus 4,037 for the same time frame in 2024.

The spokesperson additionally stated that there were 8,204 patients seen in the first seven months of 2025, versus 7,711 patients in the same time period in 2024, representing a 6.4% increase in overall activity.