More than 10,000 on waiting list at Croom

THE Mid-West Health Service Executive has started a validation process of waiting lists at the Regional Orthopaedic Hospital in Croom, Limerick, following reports there are 10,347 public patients on the outpatient waiting list at the hospital.

According to the latest statistics, nearly 40% of patients on the hospital’s outpatient lists have been waiting more than four years to be seen.
Figures for the end of January from the Department of Health’s Patient Treatment Register (PTR) show there are currently 10,347 outpatients in Croom.
Of these, 4,109 have been waiting four years or more to see a consultant in an outpatient clinic in order to get assessed for treatment.
Croom hospital has the highest figure in the country for the number waiting four years or more for an outpatient consultation.
In a statement to The Clare Champion, the HSE noted the latest validation process revealed 86% of 1,800 outpatients did not require an appointment.
“Historically, waiting lists have often contained inaccuracies for many different reasons, for example, people moving away, inappropriate referral, going to a different hospital or consultant or changing their minds about the need for treatment.
“In addition, there have been cases where hospitals made mistakes in record keeping or referring GPs failed to inform hospitals of changing circumstances of the individual patient.
“When the waiting list is fully validated, we will have a real picture of actual need and this will help our doctors and nurses to plan their work more efficiently. We are also moving towards greater use of modern technology, for example, texting to contact patients and to reduce the large numbers of patients who fail to attend scheduled appointments.
As part of the National Musculoskeletal Clinical Programme, the authority appointed one clinical specialist physiotherapist in September to assess and triage patients on the Orthopaedic OPD waiting list for the appropriate service in Croom.
The HSE hopes to have a second clinical specialist physiotherapist in post by the end of March.
The hospital with the second-highest four-year plus waiting numbers for outpatients is the Mid-Western Regional Hospital, also in Limerick, which has 1,716 patients waiting over four years to see a consultant. This is followed by Waterford Regional Hospital with 1,086 patients.
The Dublin hospital with the highest number of long outpatient waits is Tallaght, which has 876 patients waiting over two years for a consultation.
Nationally, there are now 9,784 patients waiting over four years for an outpatient consultation in a public hospital.
A total of 8,989 patients nationally are currently waiting between three and four years for an outpatient consultation.
The total number of people on outpatient lists, according to the PTR figures for the end of January, is 386,643.
Health Minister James Reilly has pledged that no patient will be waiting more than a year for an outpatient consultation by the end of 2013.