Hospital consultants have issued a caution that there might be a ten-year delay in resolving the current hospital backlogs as recent statistics display a growth. On Friday, the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) published the data for March, demonstrating that just above 463,000 people were beyond the ten- and twelve-week Sláintecare targets. Roughly half this quantity was within the scheduled waiting durations.
According to the Department of Health, there has been progress in tackling enduring wait times, marked by a 3% decrease in individuals waiting beyond its goals compared to the preceding month. Despite the adverse impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, additional stress on emergency departments, and other administrative obstacles, like employment, advancements have been made by hospitals that are significantly benefitting the patients, as per the department’s statement.
However, while some hospitals have witnessed notable decreases in their waiting lists and waiting times, this improved performance needs to be replicated across the entire system. The Irish Hospital Consultants’ Association (IHCA) underlined more than a 24,000 or 4% increase in the first quarter of 2024 alone in the primary waiting lists for hospital appointments and treatments.
The Department has allocated a €437 million action plan for the current year with the aim of cutting down the waiting lists for outpatient appointments and for inpatient and day case treatment and procedures by 39,300 or 6% by the close of December in comparison to the number waiting at the start of the year.
The IHCA voiced their concern, however, as previous action plans in 2022 and 2023 had set high reduction targets of 18% and 10%, but only managed to decrease waiting lists by 4% and 3% respectively. The vice-president of the association, Professor Gabrielle Colleran, criticised the new action plan for the waiting list, published by the department two weeks ago, stating that it has “already missed the first objective.”
“We appreciate any financial contribution aimed at reducing the unreasonably lengthy waiting lists that bar patients from receiving necessary care, but it may be high time for the Government to try a new strategy instead of repeating unsuccessful methods,” she commented.
The data made available today by the NTPF corroborates Consultants’ serious worries that these waiting lists could require ten years or more to manage unless the Government expedites the implementation of once pledged additional hospital capacity. It’s also eminent that one in five Consultant positions, which are either vacant or temporarily filled, are filled on a permanent basis.
Sinn Féin’s health spokesperson, David Cullinane TD echoes apprehension over the direction of these waiting lists.
The Minister of Health’s strategies to reduce waiting lists have proven ineffective, he stated. “The reality is, the Minister can disseminate as many strategies as he likes, but without sufficient funding to extend capacity, they are mere empty promises,” he added.
A dearth of funding for new measures and a stringent hiring freeze are inhibiting progress within the health service, according to Mr Cullinane. “To effectively and durably address the issue of waiting lists, the hiring freeze needs to be relaxed and the government needs to allocate funds for the critical 1,500 ready-to-build beds needed. These are vital steps towards reducing waiting periods efficiently and with resolve,” he concluded.