Outpatients in Ireland face the longest waits for care of patients in similar countries

The Journal

a day ago

AN INTERNAL DEPARTMENT of Health report found that Ireland had the longest outpatient waiting times out of a list of analysed countries, including Poland, England and Scotland.
The previously unpublished report, which was completed in November 2024 and obtained through the Freedom of Information Act by
The Journal
, shows that despite the volume of outpatients on waiting lists returning to pre-pandemic levels, Ireland still has significantly longer wait times than any other country surveyed.
A Sinn Féin TD has condemned the long wait times and said that outpatients are waiting 'far too long' for care.
The report analysed waiting lists in Ireland and 'comparable' countries, including Norway, Spain, Canada, Poland, England, Wales, Scotland and Finland.
In Ireland, for every 1,000 people in the country, there were 112 people on outpatient waiting lists.
Ireland's waiting lists were found to have reduced since 2022, which the department's report said indicated the country managed the pandemic backlog well and kept pace with population growth.
40% of people were waiting for appointments for more than six months, compared to 53% pre-Covid. The average wait time was under seven months.
Among the assessed countries, Ireland and Wales had the highest percentage of people waiting more than a year for an outpatient appointment.
In comparison to the other countries, Ireland had significantly higher waiting times for cataract surgeries and hysterectomies.
Patients waited for an average of 167 days for cataract surgery in Ireland.
The average waiting time for a hysterectomy in Ireland was 267 days, this is almost 100 days more than the country with the second longest waiting list for hysterectomies, Portugal.
In the report, the Department of Health states that 'despite significant improvements, Ireland still has average waiting volumes and the highest wait times compared to other assessed countries'.
'This indicates that while progress has been made, further improvements are possible for Ireland to be among the better performing countries, especially regarding wait times,' it said.
Inpatient lists
The report also analysed how Ireland compares with several other countries regarding inpatient waiting lists, including Denmark, Spain, Canada, Poland, England, Scotland, Wales, Australia and Greece.
Inpatient care involves a patient staying in a hospital overnight for care or treatment, while outpatient care tends to involve non-residential hospital appointments such as consultations, diagnostic tests, or minor procedures or treatments.
The number of people on Irish inpatient waiting lists was increasing, but was still much lower than the number of people waiting for outpatient appointments.
Advertisement
For every 1,000 people in the country, 21 people were waiting for inpatient appointments in Ireland, a number which has remained consistent over several years.
The average waiting time for inpatient appointments in Ireland was five months.
The length of inpatient wait times was improving over time but had not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Compared to other countries, Ireland had an average or slightly below average number of people on inpatient waiting lists, and average inpatient waiting list times.
'Lack of transparency'
Speaking to
The Journal,
Sinn Féin Health Spokesperson David Cullinane TD said that Ireland is 'far behind' other European countries when it comes to waiting lists and that people are waiting 'far too long'.
'While there is some improvement, the numbers of people remaining waiting has remained static,' Cullinane said.
'Slaíntecare committed to reducing waiting lists dramatically, with a max wait of 12 weeks. We are a long, long way from that,' he said.
He said elective surgeries, such as orthopaedics, tend to have the longest waiting lists, primarily due to cancellation.
'There is consistent and persistent overcrowding in emergency hospitals,' he said, adding that this is caused by a lack of beds, which moves patients into the emergency department and results in the cancellation of elective operations due to a lack of space.
Cullinane said long waiting lists in Ireland are due to a number of issues, including the lack of beds and staff, and the lack of a seven day week service.
He also said there is a 'lack of transparency' relating to waiting lists, as only acute hospital waiting lists are regularly published.
He added that waiting lists in other areas of the health service, such as community care, are also problematic.
The Department of Health told
The Journal
they welcome the report, and noted the finding that Ireland made the greatest improvement between December 2022 and December 2024.
It said: 'It is acknowledged that many patients are still waiting too long for hospital appointments and treatments. The Minister for Health is conscious of the burden that this places on patients and their families.'
'The Minister published the Waiting List Action Plan (WLAP) for 2025 in February, representing this Government's commitment to reducing waiting times for patients and improving access to hospital care.'
'With the 2025 plan, we are continuing to build upon the progress delivered to date under the multi-annual action plan approach, progressing towards the ultimate vision of a public healthcare service in which everyone has timely access to high-quality care, where and when they need it.'
With reporting by Conor O'Carroll
Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article.
Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.
Learn More
Support The Journal