Elderly waiting on treatments ‘have no quality of life’, says Cork-based advocate

Nearly 2,000 Cork people are waiting for hearing aids, cataract surgery, and hip or knee replacements, as a Cork advocate for the elderly says that long wait times are severely impacting older people’s quality of life.

There are 1,606 people waiting for an audiology assessment in Cork currently, the HSE said, with 436 of these waiting longer than six months, and 69 waiting longer than a year. Of the total, 557 are over 65 years of age.

A further 155 adults in Cork have been assessed and have agreed to go ahead with hearing aid intervention — they are currently ‘in process’.

There are also 78 patients awaiting knee replacement surgery, including 30 for waiting more than six months and eight waiting for more than a year.

Some 65 patients are currently awaiting a hip replacement, eight waiting for more than six months, and two waiting for over a year.

A further 218 people are awaiting cataract treatment, including six for over six months.

Cork advocate for the elderly, Paddy O’Brien, told The Echo: “There are large numbers of senior citizens on these lists.

“Every week, I speak to people waiting on hearing aids, and while they’re waiting, they have no quality of life.

“I spoke to one man who told me he has not been outside his door for several weeks because he doesn’t want to meet his neighbours and not be able to have a conversation with them, he’s so embarrassed.

“The same applies in relation to cataract surgery, people can’t read the newspaper, watch TV — and things like going to the library or bingo sessions with friends have stopped as a result of their eyesight.”

He added that travelling to the North to get treatment did not suit everyone, as it was a very long trip: “People waiting for knee and hip replacements suffer awfully, they have considerable pain on a daily basis.

“A 70-year-old gentleman told me recently he had just returned from Alicante, he went there for knee replacement after waiting to be seen here. The HSE covered the cost of surgery, but he had to take out a loan from the credit union for his flight and accommodation.”

A HSE South West spokesperson said that comparison data for January 2025 and January 2026 demonstrate an overall reduction in those waiting for audiology treatment, and a reduction in those waiting over 39 weeks from 44% to 15%.

“Continued gains are anticipated through 2026, with successful recruitment to approved vacancies being a critical dependency/enabler,” the spokesperson said.

They added that, following hearing assessments, “clients are then put through for their hearing aid fitting appointment no more than eight to 12 weeks later. Appointments for fitting cannot be immediate, as moulds are sent away to be processed for the client in advance of fitting”.

Francis Lennox, a private audiologist in Cork, said these procedures could be done much faster if the HSE outsourced them: “I would suggest the private sector could help.

“A good 80% of those on waiting lists would be entitled to hearing aids for free with their PPS grant, so the private sector could provide the hearing tests, alleviate the amount of people waiting, and take the pressure off the HSE. We can test and fit them within a week.”

People who struggle with their hearing “are isolated, they don’t get involved with conversations, they don’t mix, they withdraw, and there’s a connection there that hearing problems can bring on dementia quicker”, Mr Lennox added.

The HSE spokesperson added that the service “is making every effort to make progress in reducing our waiting times for key elective procedures, including hip replacements, knee replacements, and cataract surgeries”.

“While we recognise the ongoing challenges in accessing elective care, we remain fully committed to reducing waiting times and supporting the timely, safe delivery of care across all procedure areas,” they said.