That's according to the Irish Hospital Consultants Association who are blaming the rising waiting lists on a shortage of consultants and capacity deficits
84,400 people are on waiting lists at six Cork Hospitals
The Irish Hospital Consultants Association is warning that the ongoing shortage of Consultants across Cork hospitals and unaddressed bed capacity deficits is restricting patients from accessing timely, high-quality medical and surgical care and is contributing massively to the growing waiting lists
The six hospitals in the Cork region saw 2,300 additional people added to their waiting lists for outpatient appointments and procedures last year - a increase of almost 3.2%
Currently more than 84,400 people are awaiting an outpatient appointment or inpatient/day case procedure across County Cork.
Consultants have raised their concerns that the combination of the unprecedented spike in hospital overcrowding, the longstanding deficits in hospital capacity and the record vacant Consultant posts in the region could see the number of people on hospital waiting lists in the region reach new record highs in the months ahead.
The six hospitals in Cork are Cork University Hospital and the Maternity Hospital, the Mercy, South Infirmary Victoria Hospital, Bantry and Mallow General Hospitals
