Keith Swanick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, will be in the House this evening to discuss mental health issues and the provision of care in the south-east region. I ask that the Minister for Health be brought before us in the near future to discuss the inexcusable waiting lists for patients in the south-east. I have a letter that was sent to a woman in County Waterford. It is marked "urgent" and states that the patient should expect to be seen in 65 months, which is over five years. I thought it was a misprint so I rang the HSE and it informed me it is not. People can wait up to nine years for non-urgent appointments. The definition of "urgent" refers to something that is top priority, important or vital. It is very difficult. What does one tell a person who is in pain on a daily basis when the person has to wait five years for a urology appointment? The urology service in Waterford hospital is being provided by two consultants, three registrars, one SHO, one intern and one clinical nurse manager. These eight people cover a population of 510,000. They receive an average of 182 new referrals per month. They are doing their very best. There are 160 new patients and 198 review patients being seen in the outpatient department every month. I understand the pressures on the system. I work in the system. In this particular case, with urgent urology appointments stretching over five years, I would be grateful if we could have the Minister in at some stage in the future to discuss it because it needs particular attention.