The number of adults and children waiting for more than a year and a half to see a Consultant at Midwest hospitals is continuing to fall.
The latest figures from the National Treatment Purchase Fund show there were just over three and a half thousand on waiting lists at University Hospital Limerick or Ennis General for 18 months or more in April, a monthly drop of 8%.
The latest NTPF figures show 29,878 adults in total were waiting for inpatient or outpatient appointments at UHL or Ennis Hospital in April, a 1% drop on the previous month.
The vast majority of those were on the waiting list at UHL, with 3,575 waiting 18 months or more to see a consultant.
At Ennis Hospital, there were 17 patients waiting the same length of time.
The specialties of Opthamology and Dermatology had the highest numbers waiting lengthy periods for appointments in April.
In addition, 4,519 children were waiting to see a consultant at one of the two hospitals last month, with 282 on the list for a year and a half, only one of those in Ennis.
