Sinn Féin spokesperson on Health, David Cullinane TD, has criticised the Minister for Health’s one-year waiting list plan, saying that it has failed to halt the rise in waiting lists, which are up by nearly 20,000 so far this year. 

He said that the true number on waiting lists is over 1.2 million when you count people on diagnostic waiting lists and on community waiting lists.

He said that there are more than 97,000 children waiting for a hospital appointment, including 27,000 waiting over a year.

The TD for Waterford was reacting to the October hospital waiting list figures published by the National Treatment Purchase Fund today, which showed that overall waiting lists stood at 897,327 at the end of October.

Teachta Cullinane said:

“Waiting lists stand at 897,327 at the end of October, up by almost 20,000 already this year.

“There are more than 97,000 children on hospital waiting lists, including 27,000 waiting over a year for an appointment.

“The Minister’s one-year, short-term waiting list plan has not even stabilised lists, with the total rising most months of the year.

“The true number on waiting lists is over 1.2 million when you count people on diagnostic waiting lists and on community waiting lists, with more than 200,000 children waiting for care.

“The Minister for Health has still not published a multi-annual waiting list strategy, and has no plan except outsourcing for reducing waiting lists.

“We need more capacity in our hospitals, and the government needs to take a serious, hands-on approach to both reform and workforce planning.

“Without addressing capacity deficits, including beds, diagnostics, and surgical theatre capacity; retention issues; and training deficits, we will not be able to permanently reduce waiting lists or address the crisis in our emergency departments.”