Kilkenny TD 'shocked' at surge in local health waiting lists

Sinn Féin TD for Carlow Kilkenny, Natasha Newsome Drennan, has expressed alarm at the shocking 23% surge in local health waiting lists since 2019 across Kilkenny and the South East Region.

Data released by the Health Service Executive to Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on health shows that there are now more than 30,000 people on waiting lists in the region for services such as physiotherapy, dietetics, psychology, and therapies, compared to 24,500 in 2019.

Deputy Newsome Drennan noted that physiotherapy waiting lists account for nearly half of the waiting lists with a 120% rise since 2019.

There has also been a severe rise in waiting lists for psychology, which has surged by 191% since 2019.

Podiatry and ophthalmology waiting lists have also grown by more than 100% in the last 5 years, and there has been a worrying 26% rise in waiting lists for dietetics and nutritional services.
 
Deputy Newsome Drennan said that an action plan is needed for local health waiting lists, but that the only sustainable solution is to increase the number of health and social care professionals who are working in local health services. She said that this will need a multi-year, joined up workforce strategy to train, recruit, and retain enough workers to meet patient need.
 
Deputy Newsome Drennan said, "There has been a significant and worrying 23% rise in waiting lists for local health services across Kilkenny and the South East since 2019. There are now more than 30,000 people on primary care waiting lists in the region.
 
“There has been a major surge in waiting lists for essential care such as physiotherapy, dietetics, psychology, and podiatry. This affects people of all ages, but especially children and older people.
 
“The surge in primary care waiting lists is a shocking indictment of Government’s failure to plan; to train, retain, and recruit the healthcare workers that we need; and to support local health services.
 
“An action plan is needed to bring these waiting lists under control, but the only sustainable solution is to increase the number of health and social care professionals working in local health services across our communities. A multi-year, joined up workforce strategy is needed to train, recruit, and retain enough workers to meet patient need.
 
“The consequences of long primary care waiting lists can be severe. Early intervention is essential for people’s health and successful care. Without early intervention, injuries and conditions can get worse and result in longer or more difficult treatment, hospitalisation, or even permanent damage. People needing rehabilitation will not be able to progress, and may even deteriorate and need to return to hospital.
 
“It is clear from these waiting lists that we do not have enough practicing health and social care professionals in primary care. Waiting lists have never been worse. This shows that for all the talk, the Government has failed miserably at tackling the fundamental problems in healthcare.
 
“Radical change is needed and that must start with a major ramp-up of health and social care training places.”