The number of people waiting for a hospital appointment in Ennis and Limerick dropped by a quarter last year.
The latest figures from the National Treatment Purchase Fund show that over 38,000 people were waiting for treatment in December.
A total of 38,061 adults and children were on the hospital waiting list for Ennis Hospital and University Hospital Limerick at the end of last year.
This is an almost 25% drop on the 48,776 who were waiting for an appointment at the end of 2021.
The numbers waiting for care in the region are also down on pre-pandemic levels.
33,814 adults were on the list to see a consultant in December, a 15.5% decrease on the 39,510 who had yet to be seen in 2019.
Meanwhile, there were almost 4,250 children waiting for an outpatient or inpatient appointment at both hospitals last month.
While the numbers waiting for care have dropped overall, those in need of an inpatient appointment in Ennis and Limerick have climbed in the past year.
2,937 people were waiting for such an appointment in the region in December, a 37% rise on the 2,011 who were waiting at the close of 2021.
