Calls for new elective hospital in Cork to be accelerated as waiting lists exceed 71k
Among the 71,537 outpatients awaiting treatment, of which 8,345 were children, approximately 21% (15,570) were waiting for between six and twelve months, including 1,686 children.
Calls have been made for the accelerated delivery of Cork’s elective-only hospital as more than 71,500 people were on hospital waiting lists across the county at the end of last month.
This is according to figures published by the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) and the Health Service Executive (HSE) on Friday.
The data shows that, as of August 28, there were 71,537 outpatients waiting for a first-time appointment in Cork across Cork University Hospital (CUH), Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH), Mercy University Hospital, South Infirmary-Victoria University Hospital (SIVUH), Mallow General Hospital and Bantry General Hospital.
Of the 71,537 people waiting for a first-time appointment, 24,632 were waiting at CUH; 2,368 were waiting at CUMH; 5,787 were waiting at Mercy University Hospital; 33,058 were waiting at SIVUH; 4,681 were waiting at Mallow General Hospital; and 1,011 were waiting at Bantry General Hospital.
Among the 71,537 outpatients awaiting treatment, of which 8,345 were children, approximately 21% (15,570) were waiting for between six and twelve months, including 1,686 children.
The two hospitals with the highest number of outpatients waiting between six and 12 months were SIVUH with 7,503 people and CUH with 5,122 people.
Waiting lists with the highest number of outpatients awaiting a first-time appointment included neurosurgery, cardiology, urology, vascular surgery and plastic surgery.
Speaking to The Echo, Social Democrats Cork South Central TD, Pádraig Rice, who is the party's spokesperson on health, said that the Government must “accelerate delivery of the elective-only hospital for Cork”.
“This would have a major impact on the continuously unacceptable wait times and take the pressure off our overburdened hospitals.
“Originally, four elective-only hospitals were to be delivered in Cork, Galway and Dublin by 2027/28 but construction hasn’t even begun.
“The latest estimate from the Minister for Health is that Cork and Galway will be operational by 2030, but given [the Government’s] track record with hospital construction, that seems like wishful thinking.” At the end of last month in CUH, there were 5,553 people waiting for a neurosurgery appointment; 2,501 waiting for a cardiology appointment; 2,297 waiting for a urology appointment; 1,352 waiting for a vascular surgery appointment; and 1,231 waiting for a plastic surgery appointment.
At Mercy University Hospital, there were 728 people waiting for a cardiology appointment; 907 waiting for a urology appointment; and 470 waiting for a vascular surgery appointment.
At SIVUH there were 2,850 waiting for a plastic surgery appointment; at Mallow General Hospital there were 716 people waiting for a cardiology appointment, and 181 waiting for a urology appointment; and at Bantry General Hospital, there were 37 waiting for a cardiology appointment.
Sinn Féin Cork South Central TD, Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, said that the waiting lists are “dreadful but unfortunately not surprising”.
“It’s clear we need particular interventions in areas such as neurology and cardiology.
“Long health waiting lists, coupled with high numbers of patients waiting in emergency departments for beds, are a product of bad policies and a lack of political leadership.
“To properly and sustainably tackle waiting lists, the recruitment embargo should be lifted as we need a more flexible approach to recruitment.
“The government should fund the 1,500 rapid build beds that are needed,” he added.
“These are crucial to reducing waiting lists at pace and with ambition.
“The health service needs a multi-annual plan to sustainably reduce waiting lists and to work tirelessly to increase capacity, retain and train more workers, and build a national health service that can see and treat patients in a timely fashion.”
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