260 over 75s waiting more than a year for Mullingar hospital appointment - Clarke

Sinn Féin TD Sorca Clarke has expressed concern that more than 261 people aged over 75 "continue to languish on Mullingar Hospital waiting lists for longer than a year".

Reacting to new data released by the HSE, Deputy Clarke said that the Minister for Health’s short-term waiting list plans have not made inroads into waiting lists, with Emergency Department overcrowding also at record levels and more than 14,000 appointments cancelled across the State in the month of April.

“It is scandalous that over 260 patients aged over 75 are waiting longer than a year for a hospital appointment at Mullingar Hospital.

“Patients continue to wait longer than ever for healthcare, and this is having a severe effect on their conditions, especially for older people.

“Treatment is not accessible or affordable for the great majority of people.

“There are more than 877,000 patients on hospital waiting lists, and 87,000 of them are aged over 75.

“More than 25,000 people aged over 75 are waiting longer than a year, 261 of them at Regional Hospital Mullingar. And of those waiting over a year, 170 are waiting more than 18 months.

“The Health Service needs more than promises. We need a serious plan to reform the health service, boost capacity and staffing levels, equip our healthcare professionals, and cut wait times to deliver the timely care that patients need and deserve.

“We need to train, recruit, and retain more doctors, nurses, and allied health and social care professionals.

“We need to fill the vacant consultant posts, and address the serious issues and overworking faced by non-consultant hospital doctors who are very likely to go on strike in the coming months.

“The current government has failed to introduce meaningful reform, and their minimal-change health reform plan will not face down the many challenges across the health service.”