Rheumatology: Arthritis sufferers in some parts of the State are waiting up to six years to see a consultant and, as a result, are suffering unnecessary pain, experiencing significant disability and risking permanent and irreparable joint damage, leading consultant rheumatologists have warned.
Dr Robert Coughlan, consultant rheumatologist with the Western Health Board, told The Irish Times that 743 patients were waiting to see him.
Some of these patients have been waiting since 1998 for a routine appointment.
Extremely urgent cases, which need to be seen within a month, were seen after a 12-month wait, he said.
As a result, patients were suffering "pain beyond necessity", risking permanent and irreparable joint damage and experiencing disability, he said. They were also losing out on the chance of having a preventable disease treated, he added.
"Of the 100 patients on my urgent waiting list, many of them are actually experiencing joint damage while they are waiting. Every month, I encounter at least one patient who has been permanently damaged because they have been left so long waiting."
The situation is only marginally better in other parts of the State, according to Dr Paul O'Connell, president of the Irish Society of Rheumatologists (ISR), who said the number of consultants needed to be doubled to bring Ireland up to UK standards. "Even at that, the UK has the lowest rate in Europe outside of Ireland," he added.
"Waiting lists in general throughout the country are too long."
In Dublin, there are a total of 10 consultant rheumatologists, based at Beaumont, the Mater, St James's, St Vincent's and James Connolly Memorial Hospital in Blanchardstown. There is no consultant rheumatologist at Tallaght Hospital.
These figures can be misleading, according to Dr O'Connell, because, in practical terms, most consultants will spend half their time in acute on-call general medicine.
The situation is particularly bad in the west, where there is only one consultant rheumatologist, according to Dr O'Connell. Other "emergency" areas are the mid-west, the midlands and the north-east region, where there are currently no consultants.
A temporary consultant has been working in Limerick Regional Hospital and a permanent post has been advertised.
A new consultant has just been appointed to Our Lady's Hospital, Navan and is expected to begin work later this year. There is no full-time consultant in the midlands and a third consultant has been appointed to the Southern Health Board.
Two manpower reports have been presented to the Department of Health, both of which have indicated that there is a need for a substantial increase in consultant rheumatologists in the State. Comhairle na nOspidéal has now been asked to compile a report on the matter. This is a delaying tactic, according to Dr Coughlan, who said three more consultants were urgently needed in the WHB region.
The Hanly report on medical staffing has outlined a 10-year plan to increase consultant numbers.