Action overdue on outpatient waiting lists
Labour Party Health spokesperson, Alan Kelly TD, has expressed his concern at the high levels of women waiting for gynaecological appointments in Ireland.
Deputy Kelly said:
“Through the launch of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association Care Can’t Wait campaign, the true levels of the numbers waiting on specialist appointments are being released. The numbers of women waiting for a gynaecological outpatient appointment are particularly stark with 30,000 women on waiting lists.
“Women and their doctors are right to be outraged by this situation.
“Minister Harris and the HSE need to produce a now well overdue plan to deal with these ridiculous waiting times. This will have better outcomes for patients and attract more people into important medical professions such as obstetrics and gynaecology.
“Over the last two years we’ve been hit with scandal after scandal when it comes to women’s healthcare. Here we are another Monday where women are reading grim headlines when it comes to their healthcare.
“Gynaecological services are often the poor relation of the health service and are frequently defunded due to budget over runs in hospitals. Women in some parts of the country are waiting two years or more for the diagnosis and treatment of serious gynaecological disorders such as uterine prolapse and endometriosis.
“As well as a plan for dealing with waiting lists across a myriad of healthcare services, The Labour Party are calling for an end to the common practice of reallocating funds for obstetric and gynaecological services to compensate for overspend in other areas of hospital groups.
“Doctors and patients are right to call out this injustice across the healthcare system.”