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“While the method, encouraging prompt discharge of patients at St James’s Hospital through incentives for individual hospital wards, was ill-judged, it does not take away from the underlying issue faced by the hospital professionals and all acute hospitals across the country. Namely, the severe shortage of acute hospital beds.

117,000 children nationally now waiting for hospital care

According IHCA President Dr. Donal O’Hanlon:

51,059 people already added to the outpatient waiting list this year 151,637 people added to the outpatient waiting list since the Government first took office in May 2016, which is a 36% increase Winter flu likely to increase number of patients on trolleys and further add to waiting lists   Dr Donal O’Hanlon, IHCA President said: “the numbers waiting to see a hospital consultant have increased by an average of over 5,100 additional people per month since the start of this year. The consultant recruitment and retention crisis, with one in five permanent consultant posts now unfilled is a key factor in the long wait times patients face. We need to end this crisis by restoring pay parity for consultants appointed since 2012 in order to fill the large number of permanent consultant posts that are unfilled.”