Over 2,400 people are waiting on a first appointments at Roscommon Hospital and over 1,600 people are waiting for Inpatient/Day Procedures at the Hospital according to the latest monthly figures from the National Treatment Purchase fund.
A breakdown of the Inpatient/Day figures for Roscommon Hospital shows that:
– almost 60% of the patients are waiting over six months to be seen.
– 1429 People are waiting on “Plastic Surgery” procedures; a slight increase compared to June figures.
– 156 are waiting for Vascular Surgery; a slight increase.
– 15 are waiting on Urology procedures; a slight decrease.
– 52 are waiting on General Surgery; a slight increase.
A breakdown of the Consultant Appointment Waiting lists for Roscommon Hospital shows that:
– 704 are waiting for to see an Ear Nose and Throat Consultant and 40% are waiting over 12 months.
– 382 General Medicine and over 20% are waiting for more than six months.
– 314 General Surgery; a slight decrease compared to June.
– 316 Plastic Surgery; a 20% increase compared to June.
– 263 Orthopaedics; a slight increase.
– 149 Urology; a slight decrease.
– 236 Vascular Surgery. No change.
– 74 Endocrinology; a slight decrease.
Looking at the hospitals in the Region, which many Roscommon patients are referred to, Galway University Hospital has Inpatient/Day Case waiting lists of 11,353 – the longest in the country, although slightly down on the June figures. Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe has the least number of people waiting for treatment with 153, also slightly down.
Between Galway University, Portiuncula, Mayo General and Sligo General Hospital over 52,500 people are on Outpatient Waiting Lists, up slightly from June.
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Commenting on the local and national waiting list figures Michael Fitzmaurice TD said “I have been pursuing this issue since I have been elected and the situation is getting worse with every passing month. There are a total of 70,000 people who are waiting over a year to be treated or to have an appointment, and even worse is that fact that 39,000 people are waiting over 15 months, and that is the maximum time set by the Government itself. If it wasn’t such a serious matter it would be a joke.
The Independent TD continue “We have had promise after promise from successive Ministers for Health who make fine speeches every couple of months about all the progress they are going to make, yet nothing happens. When is someone going to take this problem by the scruff of the neck and solve it once and for all?”
Michael Fitzmaurice added “I realise that this problem can’t be solved immediately but surely it is not beyond Minister Harris and his three Ministers for State in the Department of Health and the HSE as well, to come up with a viable plan that will tackle this scandal so that this enormous and totally unacceptable waiting list can be reduced. What will happen is that the Minister will go on the national air waves over the next few days to tell everyone what he plans to do, and then next month the figures will be higher again. It simply cannot continue.”
“If we cannot look after the most vulnerable people in our society, and that includes those who are ill and worried about their treatment, then we are going nowhere as a country” concluded Michael Fitzmaurice.