Drop in 12 month-plus waiters

[Posted: Thu 09/08/2012 by Niall Hunter, Editor www.irishhealth.com]

The number of adult patients waiting over 12 months for a hospital procedure fell from 166 to 148 between May and June, according to latest HSE figures.

However, the numbers waiting between nine and 12 months for hospital treatment rose slightly in the same period, according to the figures.

Health Minister James Reilly has pledged that no patient should be waiting more than nine months for hospital treatment by the end of the year.

The number of adults waiting over 12 months for hospital procedures has declined from over 3,000 last September, when Dr Reilly's Special Delivery Unit began its waiting list initiative.

However, the latest figures also show that the number of adults waiting between nine and 12 months for treatment increased by 45 to 2,802 between May and June.

The number of children waiting over six months for hospital treatment dropped from 956 to 785 between May and June, the figures show.

The overall numbers waiting for treatment in all time categories dropped from 58,626 to 57,708 between May and June.

The total number on waiting lists last September, when the Minister launched his Special Delivery Unit (SDU) to tackle waiting lists, was just over 60,000.