Dublin South West representative and Sinn Féin TD, Seán Crowe, has expressed his concern and frustration at the alarming rise in citizens languishing for longer and longer periods on hospital waiting lists.
Crowe has claimed that there is no real working strategy by Health Minister Varadkar to tackle the current crisis which he described as going from bad to worse
Deputy Crowe said:
“There is no denying that there is a serious problem with waiting lists for outpatients and inpatient procedures in Tallaght Hospital.
“Figures available from the National Treatment Purchase Fund reveal that at the end of April there were 30,713 outpatients attending Tallaght Hospital, up on the previous month.
“Of these 7,740 had been waiting up to three months; 5,199 had been waiting for 3-6 months; 7,949 waiting 6-12 months, 7,841 have been waiting between one and two years, 1,707 people have been waiting between two and three years, 268 have been waiting between three and four years and 9 people have been waiting over four years.
“Out of these figures 5,504 were categorised as paediatric services.”
Teachta Crowe, a member of Tallaght Hospital Action Group, continued:
“Inpatient figures also make for uncomfortable and depressing reading. At the end of April, in Tallaght Hospital 3,598 patients were waiting for an inpatient procedure with 603 of these having been waiting for more than a year.
“The crisis for patients and their loved ones is going from bad to worse.
“Behind many of these hospital figures are individuals some in pain, dependent on medication, with their lives on hold while awaiting life changing procedures.
“This Government’s health strategy is deeply flawed, lacks coherence and is increasingly failing patients’ right across the state.
“Soundbites and government rhetoric won’t address the failings in current system.
“Investment in the provision of extra beds, extra nurses, step-down facilities, long term care and nursing home beds will and is the only long term sensible solution to the waiting list crisis.”
ENDS