Deputy Adams raises concerns at outpatient waiting lists in Louth

The ‘growing numbers of outpatients in Louth on hospital waiting lists,’ has been highlighted by Sinn Féin Louth TD Gerry Adams, who noted that there has been a tenfold increase in the number of patients waiting more than 18 months for outpatient treatment.

The Louth TD said: ‘ The outpatient waiting list for Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital has significantly increased since January of this year. At the end of January 12,087 patients were on the outpatient waiting list. That has now increased to 13,561. The number of patients waiting for more than 18 months has also dramatically increased from 72 in January to 726 at the end of September.

He noted that:‘During the same period, Louth County Hospital has witnessed a slight drop of just over 100 on the outpatient waiting list from 2849 in January to 2742 at the end of September. However, the number of patients waiting more than a year has increased from 4 to 9.

The figures for Our Lady of Lourdes in Drogheda reflected the trend across the state,’ he continued. ‘Almost half a million people, 495,318, are on the outpatient waiting list. The number waiting more than 18 months has increased from 59,483 to 60,971.’