New figures published by the HSE have revealed a 17 per cent increase in the number of people on waiting lists at Mayo General Hospital. According to the figures seen by Fianna Fáil Deputy Dara Calleary, there were 850 adults and children waiting for in-patient and day case appointments at Mayo General Hospital at the end of September. That is an increase of 126 in the year.
Deputy Calleary has described the annual increase as a “disgrace”, particularly at a time when the Government is seeking further cuts to local health services next year. “In the last two years, the health services in Mayo and across the west of Ireland have received a hammering under the Health Minister James Reilly’s so called ‘reform’ agenda. Instead of improving services for patients as he promised, the reality has been the exact opposite,” said Deputy Calleary.
He continued: “Mayo General Hospital is under more pressure than ever before. On top of the recruitment embargo and the resulting gaps in front-line staffing levels, there have been direct cuts to resources and the hospital has taken the hit for cuts to other health facilities in the region. Mayo General is absorbing patients from Roscommon Hospital and from community hospital services that have been cut over the past two years.”
He concluded: “The Government needs to address this mounting chaos in our local health services. Far from taking the action that is needed to support patients, improve efficiency, and ensure better outcomes, Minister Reilly now wants to further undermine our health services with more cuts. The bottom line is that the health services in Mayo cannot take more cuts. Waiting lists at Mayo General will jump again if Minister Reilly is allowed to continue.”
