A sharp increase in outpatient waiting lists last month is certain to intensify scrutiny of Leo Varadkar’s stewardship of the health service during the election campaign.
The number of outpatients enduring long waits for appointments jumped almost 40 per cent last month, despite a promise by Mr Varadkar to eliminate such delays.
The rise in outpatient waiting lists comes on top of a rise in trolley numbers in hospital emergency departments last month, which the Minister blamed on a spike in flu-related attendances
A total of 13,763 outpatients had been waiting more than 15 months for an appointment at the end of January, according to new figures, up from 9,887 a month earlier.
As the Minister for Health, Mr Varadkar had pledged to eliminate waits of more than 15 months by the end of last year, but failed to meet the target despite additional spending of more than €50 million. Cancelled appointments The worsening of the figures last month was most likely due to outpatient appointments being cancelled because of the emergency department overcrowding. Threatened industrial action by members of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation in some hospitals also forced the cancellation of appointments and elective surgeries.
The overall waiting list has grown too, thereby reversing a downward trend in recent months, the figures from the National Treatment Purchase Fund show. There were 383,713 outpatients on the list in January, up more than 8,000 from 375,440 a month earlier. Numbers peaked at over 414,000 in mid-2015.
The problem of long waiting lists is concentrated in a handful of hospitals, many of which also struggle with emergency department overcrowding.
Worst delays Beaumont Hospital in Dublin has more than 2,000 outpatients waiting over 15 months for an appointment, and Tullamore, Tallaght and Galway hospitals also have high numbers. Delays are worst in ear, nose and throat; orthopaedics; and dermatology.
Almost a year ago Mr Varadkar set a target that no patient would be waiting for more than 18 months by mid-2015 and for more than 15 months by the end of last year.
There was some good news for the Minister yesterday, with an easing of emergency department overcrowding. The INMO said there were 332 patients waiting for admission on trolleys or on wards yesterday. Mr Varadkar said this was 20 per cent down on the same day last year.
