Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

The Minister may or may not be aware that the number of patients on trolleys and chairs in hospitals today is 420. That figure was only 290 on the same date in 2005 when she committed to doing away with it entirely. Between August 2009 and August 2010 there has been an increase of 1,000 in the number of patients waiting more than three months for inpatient and day care treatments. Over the same period, there has been an increase of 5,000 patients waiting for up to three months for similar procedures. These statistics are shocking but they translate into real people.

How do I deal with a parent whose young child has constant issues in regard to a tonsillectomy which she has been told is not likely be performed for up to four years? That is the situation with which we are dealing. That is the advice being given by hospital sites to patients presenting today. It is not acceptable.

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