Letterkenny General Hospital
Deputy Pádraig MacLochlainn has raised concerns over the high number of patients waiting for twelve months or longer to be seen for Urology appointments at Letterkenny University Hospital, with just over 42% of patients waiting for a year or more for Day Case treatment.
The figures, which have been provided by the National Treatment Purchase Fund, show that there are fifty people waiting twelve months or more for a Urology Inpatient appointment at the hospital.
Meanwhile, figures received from the HSE earlier this month reveal that a further 328 patients have been waiting for the same period to be seen by a consultant for outpatient procedures.
Deputy MacLochlainn said there is a clear backlog in the number of patients waiting to receive urology appointments for both Inpatient and outpatient procedures at Letterkenny University Hospital as revealed by these latest figures.
“Earlier this month, Sinn Féin was supplied with figures by the HSE which showed that there are a total of 328 people waiting a year or more to be seen by a consultant urologist for outpatient treatment: 138 of whom have been waiting between 12 and 15 months, while a further 190 people have been on the same list for over 15 months.
“Now, following data received by the party from the National Treatment Purchase Fund, it’s been revealed that the backlog is also causing problems for inpatient and daycase patients with just over 42% of all those on the urology Inpatient waiting list having been waiting for a year or longer to be treated.
“Clearly there is a very real problem within the speciality at the hospital, and the Urology department is struggling to cope with the growing numbers which are being added to its waiting list.
“I understand that in November, Urology services at Letterkenny University Hospital were reinstated after they were suspended for a time following the departure of Mr Kevin Moran early last year, however the backlog of patients remains high as these figures highlight.
“The Minister must outline precisely what measures are being put in place to reduce waiting times for urology patients as the current waiting times are simply unacceptable.
“I will be raising this issue with the Minister this week in the Dáil and I will be asking what additional resources he will be providing to the hospital to help it deal with the huge volume of patients who have yet to receive treatment.”
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