The numbers waiting for a hospital appointment in the Mid-West dropped by 27% in the year to February.
The latest figures from the National Treatment Purchase Fund show that over 36,000 people were waiting to see a consultant in Clare or Limerick last month.
A total of 36,581 adults and children were waiting for a hospital appointment at University Hospital Limerick and Ennis Hospital last month.
This is a 27% drop on the over 50,000 who were waiting for care the February prior.
The number of adults waiting for an outpatient appointment in Ennis dropping by over 53% in the past year from 1,856 in 2022 to 865 last month.
The largest decrease was seen in the numbers waiting more than 18 months for an outpatient appointment at the region’s main hospital.
Almost 16,500 adults were waiting more than a year and a half last February, compared to the roughly 5,100 waiting the same period for an appointment this February – a drop of 68%.
However, the numbers waiting for an inpatient appointment in Ennis and Limerick increased in the past twelve months.
There was a nearly 58% increase in the number of people waiting in Ennis this February and a 20% increase in those waiting for an appointment at UHL.
