The HSE’s Regional Health Forum has been told that outpatient attendances at Letterkenny University Hospital increased by 5% in the first seven months of 2024 compared to the same period the previous year.
However, the forum was told despite the increase in throughput, waiting lists continue to increase.
In response to a question from Cllr Ciaran Brogan, HSE officials told a Regional Health Forum meeting this week that despite the increase inactivity, there has been a rise in the number of people awaiting an outpatient appointment in Letterkenny.
This was due to two factors – an increase in the number of referrals by 14% compared to 2023, and the migration of Letterkenny University Hospital to the Saolta Group patient administration system in May of this year.
This, the HSE says, led to a temporary pause in the outsourcing and validation of the waiting list.
This has now commenced, and both processes are expected to be fully up to date by the end of the month, which should result in a fall in the waiting list numbers.
The statement points out that additional outpatient activity is planned for the next three months in order to achieve waiting list targets by year-end.
Comparitive figures from 2021 to 2024 –
