A local TD has criticised the increase in waiting list figures for health services across the South East region as a “failure of government”.
The latest figures show a 23% increase in people on waiting lists for services such as physiotherapy, dietetics, psychology, and therapies since 2019.
That brings the total figure in the region to 30,000 people on waiting lists, compared with 24,500 six years ago.
Physiotherapy waiting lists accounted for nearly half of the waiting lists with a 120% rise since 2019.
Podiatry and ophthalmology waiting lists have also grown by more than 100% in the last 5 years, and there has been a 26% rise in waiting lists for dietetics and nutritional services.
Carlow Kilkenny TD Natasha Newsome Drennan says this can have a major impact.
Speaking to KCLR News, Deputy Newsome Drennan said that “Without we’ll say physiotherapy, without getting that, what you’re risking is more damage, and then ending up in hospital.”
“So what we want to see is more services within Primary care”, she noted, before concluding that “the figures are shocking.”
