NEW FIGURES SHOW that the total waiting list for inpatient and day case treatments nationally stands at 44,900.
There are 5,829 people waiting over 8 months for treatment, despite the government’s target to ensure that no one is waiting longer than this by the end of 2013.
The new figures were published by the National Treatment Purchase Fund. Commenting on them today, Ian Carter, HSE Director Designate of Acute Hospitals said that earlier this year hospitals were under “considerable pressure due to overcrowding in Emergency Departments. with increased admissions”.
He said this increase, in particular of older people requiring a longer than average stay, caused a slowdown in the delivery of elective treatments.
The HSE said Carter is now working closely with hospital Chief Executives to optimise the use of hospital capacity to reduce waiting times as a matter of urgency.
“Detailed work is underway in matching available capacity with the need for treatments,” he said. “Hospitals are being required to maximise the delivery of treatments ensuring that the longest waiters are treated first; once the most urgent cases are dealt with.”
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