More than 6,200 people waiting for ear, nose and throat treatment at Cork hospital 

A total of 6,204 people are awaiting ear, nose, and throat (ENT) treatment, at South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital. 

Of these, just 16% have been given an appointment.

A total of 1,248 people are waiting more than a year to be seen, according to figures provided by the HSE, which cover both adult and paediatric patients, 78% of whom have not been given an appointment.

There are 266 people waiting between two and three years, with the majority of these — 159 — not having an appointment yet. A further five people are waiting between three and four years.

The figures were provided to Labour TD Alan Kelly in response to a parliamentary question. Cork Labour Party senator Laura Harmon said it was “heartbreaking and frankly scandalous” that so many people we waiting for “basic specialist care”.

“We are talking about children waiting for grommets or tonsillectomies, and adults living with debilitating hearing or sinus issues. For many, living their full lives is effectively on hold,” she said.

She added that the figures show that the hospital, a regional centre for ENT, is under-resourced to meet the needs of the population, calling for resources to provide additional staffing and a plan to reduce wait times.

Figures published by the National Treatment Purchase Fund show that at the end of February, the ENT waiting lists for outpatient treatment were the highest they had been since the dataset began in 2021, while inpatient waiting lists were the second-highest after January this year.