Significant Jump In Long-Term Waits For UHL Appointments

Photo © Pat Flynn

There’s been a significant jump in the number of people waiting a year and a half or more for appointments at the region’s main hospital.

The latest figures from the National Treatment Purchase fund show that across both inpatient and outpatient appointments at University Hospital Limerick, there’s been a 55% rise in long-term waits in the past year.

Clare FM’s James Mulhall reports:

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The latest report from the NTPF shows that at the end of last month, a total of 36,068 patients were awaiting an appointment at University Hospital Limerick.

Of that number, some 33,934 were outpatient appointments – an 8% rise from the figure 12 months previous.

But the figures also show a worrying jump in the numbers waiting 18 months or more on an outpatient appointment at UHL – up 37% in just a year to 7,759.

There was, however, a decrease in waits for inpatient appointments at the Dooradoyle facility – that’s down to 2,134 at the end of April, versus 2,800 a year ago.

At Ennis General Hospital, meanwhile, 2,280 patients overall were waiting to be called for appointments at the end of April; a rise of 100 in a year but a marginal drop of 18 on the March figure.