David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have tabled this motion on the back of a parliamentary question my party colleague, Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, tabled last week on hospital waiting times at University Hospital Waterford. Every time I table parliamentary questions, which I have done since 2011, the waiting times are getting worse. I will not judge the Government on my standards or Sinn Féin standards but on the standard that the Government and the Minister for Health have set themselves, which is that no patient should be waiting longer than 12 months to see a consultant, yet the figures for University Hospital Waterford show that 24,274 patients are on waiting lists. Of those 8,478 are waiting longer than 12 months. In the specialty areas, 835 are waiting for dermatology, 722 for general surgery, 736 for ophthalmology, 2,375 for orthopaedics and 1,939 for ear nose and throat services.

The reason for this - I have had this argument over and again with the Minister for Health and the previous Minister for Health - is that since 2009, University Hospital Waterford has lost more than 300 staff, 130 of whom were nurses. It also lost two surgical theatres, a ward, critical bed places and generally capacity has been reduced. Year on year the funding has been cut. The reduction in capacity from staff, beds and surgical space has meant that the hospital is not in a position to meet the needs of patients. In addition, many hospital consultant posts l have not been filled. A number of cancer specialists have been very critical of the lack of consultants in the dermatology unit. Orthopaedic surgeons who work in Waterford regional hospital or University Hospital Waterford are critical of the lack of orthopaedic consultants. It is clear there is a serious lack of capacity in the hospital that needs to be filled as is clear from the figures. It is unacceptable that nearly 8,500 patients are waiting longer than 12 months to see a consultant. Will the Minister explain to me and the people of Waterford and the south east why these people have to wait longer than 12 months to see a consultant? Why do patients have to wait for so long? Will he acknowledge that it is current Government policy that all patients should be seen within 12 months? Will he outline what extra resources will be put in place, the consultant posts that need to be filled and when those vacant consultant posts will be filled.