Waterford hit by 'major surge' in local health waiting lists
The HSE's south east region has experienced a worrying increase with waiting lists up by 23% since before the pandemic.
Waterford TD David Cullinane has raised the alarm on healthcare in the south east after discovering a “significant and worrying” increase in HSE waiting lists in the region since before the pandemic.
“There has been a 23% rise in waiting lists for local health services in Waterford and the South East since 2019,” the Sinn Féin health spokesperson said.
“There are now more than 30,000 people on primary care waiting lists in the region.”
Since before the pandemic, the 'CHO 5' region, which encompasses Waterford and other South East areas, has seen a 191% increase in people on psychology waiting lists, alongside Ophthalmology, which has seen demand increase 142% since 2019.
Other areas of care have seen waiting lists drop, with Audiology and Occupational Therapy (OT) areas seeing their waiting lists more than half.
Deputy Cullinane identified a “major surge in waiting lists for essential care”, with areas such as physiotherapy, dietetics, psychology and podiatry seeing significant increases in their waiting lists in a turn that he said “affects people of all ages, but especially children and older people”.
“The surge in primary care waiting lists is a shocking indictment of Government’s failure to plan; to train, retain, and recruit the healthcare workers that we need; and to support local health services,” the Sinn Féin representative said.
Deputy Cullinane called for “radical change” and for the government to create an “action plan” in the hopes of bringing the waiting lists “under control”.
“The only sustainable solution is to increase the number of health and social care professionals working in local health services across our communities.
“The consequences of long primary care waiting lists can be severe,” Deputy Cullinane said, highlighting the significant impacts that prolonged waiting times before accessing primary care can have on health outcomes.
“Without early intervention, injuries and conditions can get worse and result in longer or more difficult treatment, hospitalisation, or even permanent damage,” he highlighted, noting that people in need of rehabilitative care “may even deteriorate and need to return to hospital”.
“It is clear from these waiting lists that we do not have enough practising health and social care professionals in primary care. Waiting lists have never been worse. This shows that for all the talk, the Government has failed miserably at tackling the fundamental problems in healthcare.
“Radical change is needed and that must start with a major ramp-up of health and social care training places.”
