Sinn Féin spokesperson on Health David Cullinane TD has said that the latest data from the National Treatment Purchase Fund shows health waiting lists are continuing to spiral out of control, describing the figures as ‘very concerning’.

Teachta Cullinane said:

“The acute hospital waiting lists published by the National Treatment Purchase Fund today show a record 628,756 people now on outpatient waiting lists – an increase of over 66,000 in the past year.

“The total number of outpatient and inpatient patients waiting is 881,621, but even these numbers don’t tell the full story.

“It is further estimated that between last year and so far this year over 200,000 hospital appointments were not scheduled due to the suspension of many services due to Covid-19.

“Our hospitals are now faced with record high wait times and a tsunami of missed care.

“The crisis in respect of waiting lists precedes Covid but the volume of missed care is now staggering. These figures are very concerning – behind the numbers are patients waiting for badly needed care.

“I echo the call from the IMO, the IHCA, the INMO and SIPTU for more resources and capacity to address waiting times, as well as urgent delivery on pay equality issues.

“We cannot ask frontline workers to continue to operate with one hand tied behind their backs.

“We need to get real about investing in health or we will continue to cause more suffering and hardship for people in need of urgent treatment.”