NEW FIGURES RELEASED by the Health Service Executive show that 46,400 adults and children are waiting for hospital treatment in Ireland.

Of these, 15,206 patients waiting for inpatient care and 31,254 patients waiting for day-case procedures.

The report shows a sharp rise on figures from the same time last year, with 5,400 more patients now waiting for treatment, RTÉ reports.

The hospitals with the longest waiting times for inpatient procedures are:

• Galway University Hospitals (UHG and Merlin Park University Hospital Galway) = 1,822 patients in need of treatment
• The Mater Hospital = 1,353 patients in need of treatment
• Beaumont Hospital = 1,064 patients in need of treatment
• Cork University Hospital = 1,005 patients in need of treatment
• Waterford Regional = 911 patients in need of treatment

The hospitals with the the longest waiting times for day-case patients are:

• Galway University Hospitals = 4,196 patients in need of treatment
• The Mater Hospital = 2,757 patients in need of treatment
• St James’s Hospital = 2,669 patients in need of treatment
• Beaumont Hospital = 2,592 patients in need of treatment

No figures are available regrading the wait for outpatients

The HSE has said that one of its key objectives is to cut waiting lists across the country. It added that several clinically-led national programmes have been set up, in areas such as neurology, orthopaedics and dermatology, in an attempt to control the length of time patients have to wait for treatment.