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Comment by President of Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA), Professor Rob Landers on Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service and Department of Health report:

Despite lowered Government reduction targets for 2024, waiting lists continue to grow 24,300 people added to three main waiting lists in the first three months of 2024, missing new Government reduction target by over 34,000; Consultants criticise lack of ambition of Government’s new Action Plan which lowers previous reduction targets of 18% and 10% over past two years to just 6% by end of 2024; less than a 3% reduction was achieved last year; Projected cuts in waiting lists dependent on NTPF removing more than 117,000 people without any treatment through ‘validation programme’; 129,000 were removed from the waiting lists in 2023 under same scheme;  896,500 people on some form of public hospital waiting list at end of first quarter of 2024; an increase of 313,000 (54%) compared with May 2017 when Sláintecare published;   Latest €437m Waiting List Plan will not meet targets unless Government addresses public hospital capacity deficits and Consultant vacancies, say IHCA. IHCA Vice President Prof Gabrielle Colleran: “The NTPF figures released today confirm Consultants’ grave concerns that these waiting lists may take a decade or more to get under control unless the opening of long-promised additional hospital capacity is fast-tracked by the Government, and simultaneously the one in five Consultant posts vacant or filled on a temporary basis are permanently filled.”   The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) has today (Friday 12th April 2024) warned that the Government’s Waiting List Action Plan for 2024, launched just over two weeks ago, has already fallen at the first hurdle, just as its previous plans have done over the past two years.   Commenting as the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) released its figures for the end of March, the IHCA said that the three main waiting lists for hospital appointments and treatments have increased by 24,300 (4%) in the first three months of 2024 alone.1 This is compared with an expected pro rata target reduction of 9,800 people by the end of March, giving a shortfall already of over 34,000.     The €437 million Action Plan for 20242 has set a target to reduce waiting lists for outpatient appointments and inpatient and day case treatment and procedures by 39,300 (6%) by the end of December compared with the number waiting at the start of the year. Similar Action Plans in 2022 and 2023 had set ambitious reduction targets of 18% and 10%, but only cut waiting lists by 4% and 3% respectively.    The modest decrease last year was only achieved by removing more than 129,000 people from the waiting lists without any treatment through an NTPF ‘validation programme’.3 This year’s projected cuts in waiting lists are again dependent on the NTPF removing more than 117,000 people without any treatment under the same administrative scheme.   Over 896,500 people were on some form of NTPF waiting list at the end of the first quarter, including numerous less publicised pre-admit, planned procedure and suspension lists, which collectively total over 200,000 for the very first time. The total number of people currently on waiting lists is an increase of almost 313,000 (54%) compared with May 2017 when Sláintecare was published.     Commenting on today’s NTPF figures, IHCA Vice President Professor Gabrielle Colleran said:   “The 2024 Waiting List Action Plan published by the Department of Health just two weeks ago has already fallen at the first hurdle, as did the two previous plans in 2022 and 2023. While we welcome any funding which aims to cut these unacceptably long waiting lists and allow patients access to the care they require, perhaps it is time the Government takes a different approach, if it is doing the same thing over and over again and still expecting to get different results.   “The NTPF figures released today confirm Consultants’ grave concerns that these waiting lists may take a decade or more to get under control unless the opening of long-promised additional hospital capacity is fast-tracked by the Government, and simultaneously the one in five Consultant posts vacant or filled on a temporary basis are permanently filled.   “Unfortunately, we are not confident that any of the 19 actions listed in the Government’s new Waiting List Plan – itself a reduction from the 30 actions listed last year – will adequately address the fundamental issue of the overwhelming shortage of acute hospital beds, outpatient facilities, theatres, diagnostics and other frontline resources required to bring these unacceptable waiting lists down.” 

Acceptance that inpatient and day case waiting lists will soar to 97,000 by end of year reflects the scale of the crisis we are in.  The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) has warned that the Government’s waiting list reduction targets for 2024 cannot be achieved unless the opening of planned additional hospital capacity is fast-tracked by the Government.  

Commenting on today’s (Friday, 8th March 2024) publication of the Medical Council’s ‘Medical Workforce Intelligence Report 2022’, the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) expressed its concern at the rise in the number of specialists deciding to leave the Irish health service.

Consultants warn Action Plan for 2024 is unlikely to achieve significant cuts in waiting lists without fast-tracking increased capacity Over 889,000 people on some form of NTPF waiting list at the end of February 2024; an increase of 111,000 in the past four years;  €1.2bn spent on waiting list initiatives since 2020, with further €407m pledged for Action Plan in 2024 due to be unveiled; Hospital cancellations expected to reach 260,000 in 2023 when full-year figures are released; With additional 260,000 awaiting diagnostic scans, the total number of people on hospital waiting lists is over 1.1 million; IHCA President Prof Rob Landers: “The Government needs to fast-track the opening of the promised 1,500 additional rapid build hospital beds across 15 acute public hospital sites this year and avoid deferring their delivery any further. The impact that the increased presentations to Emergency Departments and the resulting cancellation of surgical procedures is having on patients is clear evidence of the urgent need for this additional capacity.” More than 111,000 people have been added to hospital waiting lists in the past four years, despite the Government spending a staggering €1.2 billion over the same period on initiatives aimed at reducing patient wait times.

Irish Hospital Consultants Association statement on the Israel-Hamas war, impact on healthcare professionals and hospitals, and worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza On behalf of our nationwide membership of 3,800 hospital consultants, the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) is deeply concerned by the healthcare and humanitarian crises in Gaza and the Middle East.

Former HSE Head of Digital Transformation believes world leading EHR system can be developed for fraction of the proposed €1.8 billion  Ireland is currently 15 years behind most developed countries when it comes to digital health, says Maynooth University Professor; The health service has potential to ‘leapfrog’ other countries by giving patients access to their personal electronic health record on their phone; Government should publish new digital health strategy and long-awaited Health Information Bill without further delay to bring clarity on Digital Health funding and roll-out targets;  IHCA President Prof Rob Landers says: “This is essential to ensure Ireland has a fit-for-purpose national health information system that enhances patient care and treatment and supports better planning and delivery of health services.” A Professor of Innovation at Maynooth University says that Ireland is in a prime position to develop the most advanced electronic health record (EHR) system in the world if the appropriate strategy and funding is forthcoming from Government.

“Lack of commitment to open required additional acute hospital beds is wholly inadequate”  The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) has criticised the lack of commitment in the HSE National Service Plan 2024 to open a specified number of additional general acute hospital beds this year.

Over 60% of patients on inpatient and day case list currently waiting longer than 3 months for treatment  877,700 people on some form of NTPF waiting list at the end of January 2024; an increase of 8,455 people (1%) in a single month; €407m pledged for Waiting List Action Plan in 2024 is €36m (8%) less than allocation in 2023, despite record growth in demand for treatment; Target to offer treatment to all patients waiting longer than 3 months for one of 20 high-volume procedures not met in 2023; 61% (52,700) of patients on inpatient and day case lists currently waiting longer than 3 months for procedure; IHCA President Prof Rob Landers: “The Government needs to honour its pledge to fund treatment for any clinically suitable patient waiting more than three months on the inpatient and day case waiting list.” The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) says it is unacceptable that funding to tackle waiting lists is being cut in 2024 by €36 million (8%) compared with the allocation in 2023, despite record growth in demand for treatment.

Modest reduction in waiting lists last year would not have been achieved if not for NTPF ‘validation’ process Record growth in ‘hidden lists’ brings total to over 869,300 people on some form of NTPF waiting list at the end of the year; a reduction of just 766 people (0.1%) compared with start of 2023;  Government Action Plan fails to deliver waiting list target reduction of 69,000 (10%); only 18,800 (3%) taken off three main lists in 2023; Inpatient/day case waiting list increased by almost 4,200 (5%) in past 12 months; Fall of 4% (22,500) in Outpatient waiting list masked by significant 30% (+9,500) increase in Outpatient suspensions by end of December; IHCA President Prof Rob Landers: “The Government needs to expedite its new €407 million Waiting List Action Plan for 2024 and show more ambition in terms of delivering the additional hospital capacity that is required to meets its reduction targets.” New data analysed by the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) confirms that the modest reduction in waiting lists seen in 2023 would not have been achieved had it not been for the fact that around 105,000 people were removed from hospital waiting lists last year without treatment through a National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) ‘validation’ process.1