A so called 'postcode lottery' has emerged in our hospitals which is determining how long patients are waiting for crucial treatment.
A study has found that outpatient waiting lists are the worst hit, with over 617 thousand adults and children waiting to be seen, 153 thousand of them for over 18 months.
The examination by the Irish Independent found uneven access for patients waiting for the same treatment in different hospitals.
There's a current waiting list of 171 adults waiting for a hip or other orthopaedic procedure at the Mater hospital in Dublin , 29 of them for over one year, across the city in St. James' the waiting list soars to 867 for the same treatment, with 339 in the queue for over a year.
In terms of general surgeries like hernia, varicose veins and gallbladder operations, the numbers waiting over 12 months range from 225 in St. Vincents in Dublin to 502 in Galway University.
When it comes to gynaecology Cork University Hospital has 151 women waiting over a year for treatment compared to 27 in the Coombe.
