The Government is set to fail in its promise to eliminate the number of sick people waiting more than 12 months for hospital treatment by the end of the year.
New figures published last night reveal that at the end of September there were still 6,273 adults waiting more than a year for in-patient treatment, despite a commitment in the National Health Strategy that this figure would be wiped out by the end of 2002.
The number of children waiting more than six months for hospital treatment stood at 1,201 at the end of September.
The National Health Strategy promises to eliminate this figure by the end of this year.
There was other bad news in the health sector yesterday with the announcement that the monthly Drugs Payment Scheme threshold and charges for private beds in public hospitals were to increase for the second time in five months.
From the new year, the first €70 a month spent on drugs will be exempt from a refund, compared to the present €65 threshold.
Meanwhile, the charge for a private bed in a public hospital will increase by 5 per cent.
The measures will result in total annual savings of €20 million and were approved by the Cabinet yesterday.
The Labour spokeswoman on health, Ms Liz McManus, criticised the increase in the drug payment threshold, saying it represented an unbearable imposition on thousands of low-income patients.
Department of Health figures show there were 22,718 people on hospital waiting lists at the end of September, a decrease of 14 per cent or 3,627 in the previous 12 months.
Of that number, 19,236 were waiting for admission to hospital for treatment involving at least one overnight stay.
The number of adults waiting for hospital treatment dropped from 7,407 to 6,273 between June and September, and the number of children waiting more than six months for in-patient treatment dropped from 1,576 to 1,201.
It is highly unlikely the Department can wipe out these figures by the year end to allow it meet its target under the National Health Strategy.
However, the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, said he was "very pleased" that the figures showed reductions.
"It is now clear that our prioritisation of the long-waiters is beginning to yield results," he said.
The Department said the last quarter of the year should record a significant reduction in waiting lists, as more and more people receive treatment under the National Treatment Purchase Fund.
So far 1,600 people have been treated under the fund in which people are sent to Northern Ireland or Britain for treatment.
The Department predicts that a further 2,000 people will be treated under this scheme by the end of the year.
For the first time, the Department has also published the day-case waiting lists.
There were 9,938 people waiting for admission to hospital as a day case at the end of September.