THE IRISH HOSPITAL Consultants Association has warned that the ongoing shortage of consultants across a number of specialties is “contributing massively” to growing waiting lists, particularly in Dublin.

It’s calling on the Government to put fully funded plans in place to fill the 240 vacant consultant posts across the capital.

Around 285,000 people in Dublin could face longer delays before accessing care this winter according to the group.

Currently, 241,925 people are waiting for an outpatient appointment with a consultant at hospitals there.

Nationally, 653,524 people are waiting for an outpatient appointment, over 567,000 of those are adults, with more than 86,000 children according to the latest figures from the National Treatment Purchase Fund.

More than 33,500 people are waiting for an inpatient or day case treatment at a Dublin hospital, of these over 7,300 are waiting over a year.

The number of patients waiting over a year for hospital care has jumped by 42% since 2015.

Meanwhile, a further 9,637 are waiting for a gastrointestinal endoscopy in Dublin.

Impact on Patients

Meanwhile, the Irish Patients Association has expressed “grave concern” about the onset of winter, coupled with vacant posts, Covid and the flu, potentially causing hospitals to cancel elective surgeries for public patients as a last resort.

It notes the IHCA’s concerns about Dublin, but says this is a national issue that needs to be resolved locally.

Co-founder Stephen McMahon says extending the long delays comes with risks to patient safety.

He’s also concerned that cancelling long overdue elective surgeries for patients is happening regularly “as a management tool, to handle the overcrowding crisis.”

But that should be a “near never event,” he added.

Someone that’s waiting for an operation can develop depression, or become withdrawn due to a reduced quality of life according to the IPA.

Stephen says, “For example, if someone’s waiting for a hip replacement, or elderly women as we have had, waiting for a gynecology operation, their whole quality of life can be impacted.”

“They can suffer from depression, they can withdraw from their families along with all kinds of psychological impacts.”

Stephen McMahon says people can have accidents while on the waiting lists, such as a fall, and become even more seriously ill as a result.

“For some the ultimate impact is death, or that the effects of their condition become more serious before their operation.”

The Irish Patients Association says it’s a serious patient safety issue, as well as one of access.

The group has called on the individual hospitals to produce a list of cancellations that have been triggered in the past few weeks.

Serious Cases Only

The Saolta group is among the worst hit in terms of cancellations.

It runs seven hospitals across the West and North West of Ireland.

Chief executive Tony Canavan told Newstalk yesterday that all sites are examining every elective or potential procedures on a case by case basis.

He says only the most serious cases are getting in, like cancers or surgery on life-limiting conditions.

“We’ll continue to do our best to meet some of that elective requirement,” he said.

Consultancy Posts

One in five permanent hospital consultant posts are either vacant or filled temporarily across the country.

However in three Community Health Organisations that provide mental health and community services to the capital, that rate is closer to one in four.

The IHCA says the waiting lists are likely to get worse over the next few weeks, with concerns over just how severe the flu season is going to be.

President Professor Alan Irvine says public hospitals and mental health services need “fully funded plans” in place to fill the 240 vacant consultant posts in Dublin’s services.

He wants hospital capacity increased ahead of what he says may be the most challenging winter ever for the health service.

Professor Irvine is concerned that with less flu immunity in the population, healthcare staff could see an increase in patients presenting with severe symptoms.

He’s worried that would put pressure on, “an already overstretched” public hospital service.

It would also make catching up on the waiting lists mentioned “extremely challenging.”

“Growing waiting lists at Dublin hospitals demonstrate the impact of years of consultant shortages and under investment in capacity across these public hospitals,” he says.

Professor Irvine has reiterated the call to fill the vacant consultancy posts permanently and open beds and facilities that are “properly resourced.”

He concludes, “yet there is no clear commitment to doing this from the Government.”

The ongoing consultant contract discussions will be key to the future of patients awaiting care, however there’s been controversy over that situation just this week.