There’s been a 9% reduction in waiting lists at Ennis General Hospital in the past year.
New figures from the National Treatment Purchase Fund show just over 2,100 people were waiting for inpatient or outpatient appointments at the county hospital at the end of December, down from more than 2,300 in January.
The outlook wasn’t as positive for University Hospital Limerick though, where waiting lists jumped by almost 14 per cent on this time last year.
At the end of December, there were over 2,100 people waiting on inpatient or outpatient appointments at Ennis General Hospital, a drop of 213 on January’s figures.
And while there was 81 people waiting between 15 and 18 months for an appointment, a rise of 45 on the previous month, there was no-one waiting over 18 months, compared to 9 at the start of the year.
The picture wasn’t as bright at the region’s main hospital though – University Hospital Limerick saw an almost 14% increase in numbers at the end of the year when over 33,000 patients were waiting for an appointment.
And the numbers waiting more than 18 months for inpatient or outpatient appointments has more than doubled to just over 4,300.
The UL Hospitals Group has pointed to a significant growth in demand, as well as a shortage of consultants in some specialties, as being among the reasons for the delays.
They say they will continue to address their shortage in senior clinical decision makers this year, while a particular focus will be placed on the validation of outpatient waiting lists in line with national plans to tackle wait times for patients.
A former chair of the HSE’s Regional Health Forum West is welcoming the reduction in waiting lists at Ennis General Hospitals but insists the growth in those waiting for appointments at UHL is unacceptable.
Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Fianna Fáil Councillor Tom McNamara has been telling Clare FM’s Fiona Cahill that the worsening crisis in the health system must be tackled once and for all.
A former chair of the HSE’s Regional Health Forum West is welcoming the reduction in waiting lists at Ennis General Hospitals but insists the growth in those waiting for appointments at UHL is unacceptable.
Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Fianna Fáil Councillor Tom McNamara has been telling Clare FM’s Fiona Cahill that the worsening crisis in the health system must be tackled once and for all.
Full Statement From the UL Hospitals Group
From an inpatient perspective waiting lists are managed by Hospital site. The numbers of patients waiting for an inpatient or day case procedure at Ennis and University Hospital Limerick reduced in 2017 following a national campaign to reduce inpatient waiting lists. This was achieved through a number of separate initiatives including increased theatre and endoscopy sessions, outsourcing and a validation exercise for all patients waiting greater than 6 months. In 2017, Ennis Hospital achieved all its national waiting list targets.
From an outpatient perspective, waiting lists are managed centrally and every effort is made to facilitate patients with an appointment in their own areas whether that is in Ennis, Nenagh or Limerick. There was an increase in the number of outpatients waiting for an appointment at UL Hospitals Group in 2017. Among the reasons for the increase is the significant growth in demand; an increase in the number of urgent referrals in some specialties and a shortage of consultants in other specialties. Addressing the shortage of these senior clinical decision makers in the key specialties concerned will continue to be addressed by the Group in 2018.
In 2018, a particular focus will be placed on the validation of outpatient waiting lists by UL Hospitals Group in line with national plans to tackle wait times for patients.
In 2016 almost half a million (479,000) outpatients did not attend their outpatient appointment. In order to help patients access timely appointments, the HSE is asking patients to let their hospital know as soon as possible if they cannot attend scheduled appointments so that other patients may be offered appointments. As part of the validation process, hospitals will be contacting all patients waiting over 6 months to see if they wish to remain on the waiting list. The purpose of this exercise is to ensure that existing resources are optimised and that we improve overall access times for patients.
All patients who are waiting, inpatient and outpatient, are prioritised according to clinical need. Beyond this, UL Hospitals Group will continue to focus on seeing and treating those who have been waiting the longest.
Consultant, nursing support and clerical staff across our surgical, anesthetic, medicine and diagnostic disciplines work together in a collaborative manner to ensure that all of our patients are treated in the most timely manner.
