Frank O’Rourke TD has said the latest hospital waiting lists from the National Treatment Purchase Fund show the outpatient waiting list in Naas General Hospital is continuing its relentless upward surge
Frank said the figures show a 50% increase in the total number of people on outpatient waiting lists in the hospital since May 2016.
“The Minister’s failure to keep his commitments is putting patients at risk and it’s creating sub-standard conditions for the medical professionals and hospital employees who are working so hard. In May 2016 there were 5,392 people waiting for an outpatient appointment in Naas. In December 2019 this figure stood at 8,086. The number waiting more than 12 months has shot up from 839 in May 2016 to 2,301 in December 2019 and shockingly, the numbers waiting longer than 18 months for an appointment has risen from 24 in May 2016 to 1,468 in December 2019.”
“These figures paint a picture of a health system which just is not being supported by Government. Minister Harris set a very unambitious goal for 2019 of stabilising the outpatient waiting lists, he has clearly failed abysmally. Ironically, in 2015, then Health Minister Leo Varadkar promised that Fine Gael would bring to zero the number of people waiting over a year and a half for an outpatient appointment by the end of June that year.”
“Today, in spite of the health budget growing by an unprecedented €3.5bn, the numbers waiting is now larger than ever. “Each of these people are waiting, many in pain and distress, while their health is deteriorating – it’s not fair and it’s time for change”, Frank concluded.