Close to 60,000 people, including 5,243 children, are on waiting lists at Galway University Hospitals (UHG and Merlin Park ) - the highest number of people on waiting lists at any hospital in the State.
The figures comes from Sinn Féin’s Waiting List Experience Survey. According to the party, more than 4,000 people remain on lists for urology and general surgery, with more than 45 per cent of urology patients waiting more than a year.
One in five consultant posts are either vacant, or filled on a temporary basis, despite a sufficient graduate outturn from the education system. There are 51 consultant posts not filled on a permanent basis with 30 vacant in UHG.
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The figures have been described as “shocking” by Sinn Féin Galway West TD, Mairéad Farrell [pictured above]. “Everywhere we look in the health service, from waiting lists to Covid-19 to the cyberattack, there is a fire to be put out and an emergency to be tackled. It is limping from crisis to crisis,” she said.
She also warned that there is a “tsunami of delayed and missed care” which is “barrelling down on the health service”. As a result, the TD is calling for “an urgent plan” to catch up on missed care, reduce waiting lists, and to deliver a universal public health service.
“The health service is at a crisis point and it is not fit for purpose. Action is needed now,” she said. “We need a fresh start with a system which is fair for workers, equitable for patients, efficient, and modern.”
Sinn Féin will outline its ideas to achieve these measures, and for the creation of an Irish NHS, which it launches its Alternative Budget.
