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NEARLY HALF A million people are waiting for a hospital appointment over Sláintecare targets as of May, according to new figures released today.
In total, 593,388 patients are waiting for a first hospital outpatient consultation and 87,709 patients were waiting for an appointment for their inpatient or day case treatment. 24,140 patients were waiting to receive an appointment for a GI Endoscopy.
The long lists mean the number of people waiting for an appointment beyond Sláintecare targets stands at 471,406.
The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) released the latest public hospital waiting list data for May this afternoon.
The Department of Health has defended the wait times, saying that there has been a 25% reduction (or 156,000 people) in the number waiting longer than Sláintecare targets compared to peak wait times during the pandemic.
The department also cited a decrease of 1.7 months in the average wait time compared to the same time last year.
However, there are still 471,406 people waiting longer than the Sláintecare targets and 233,831 patients waiting within the targets.
Removals from the waiting list are 5,100 higher than target and additions are 20,000 higher than target, which results in the waiting list being 14,900 above target year to date.
Earlier in the year, hospitals around the country were under significant pressure, especially in emergency departments, compared to the same period last year, with knock-on effects for capacity in scheduled care.
The Department of Health said that it and the HSE are monitoring activity metrics and the associated targets.
“Despite the significant challenges from the aftermath of the pandemic, emergency department pressures, and other operational factors such as recruitment, our hospitals have delivered improvements which are making a real difference to patients,” the department said in a statement.
“Many individual hospitals have delivered impressive reductions in both their waiting lists and waiting times,” it said, citing a 55% reduction in Cork University Hospital’s OPD Rheumatology waiting list and a 73% reduction on the Endocrinology waiting list in Galway University Hospital.
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You have to laugh at the Irexit Looneys who thought following them would be a good idea.
All of this wouldn’t be happening if truck drivers and manual workers were paid a decent wage from the start. It’s not that natives won’t do it, far from it. It’s just they know their worth.
@Sean Kelly: Unfortunately driving is a low skill job, if you increase pay, then the product needs to be sold for more. Can’t have it both ways
@pkunzip doom2.zip: Low skill are you for real?
@pkunzip doom2.zip: you try reversing a 40ft arctic it to the loading area on most supermarkets. Or driving down roads which barley accommodate 2 trucks. Without these skilled individuals you would most likely starve.
First Brexit, then Covid, now Brexit again, do the DUP still want to follow England’s example?
Average age of truck drivers here is 57 crisis coming rapidly down the line
@Willie Bill Bryan: There is already a shortage of drivers in Ireland.
@Willie Bill Bryan: long hours poor wages plays a factor in it.thats why Ireland is importing truck drivers from south Africa and eastern europe.if the conditions were better they probably would a big uptake of Irish drivers
A few years ago I was renewing my ADR licence (Tankers) I was the youngest on the course at 40, No one wants to get into an industry were everything is the drivers fault plus long unsociable hours early starts like 1am or overnight trunking.
No proper places to pull in and take your legally required breaks, Along with you’re sleep pattern all over the place lake of exercise as you are constantly tired.
Or the fact that two UK logistics companies tried to bring in a roster were by they would call the driver at 9pm to inform them they are required in work the following morning at 3am, Not sure of any other industries that would allow that.
I thought going all electric vehicles wasn’t due till 2030.
Looks like it’s sooner than later.
TEACHERS!!!!!!
@Tony Harris: Do you not approve of their choice?
Bring back horses and carriages i say …..
M0r0ns.
have your say