Dan Neville, Fine Gael T.D., was very pleased to hear from the Office of the Minister for Health, Dr James O’Reilly, T.D., that the waiting lists of over nine months have been eliminated for in-patient and day case surgery in the Mid Western Regional Hospital, Croom. Equally, Deputy Neville welcomed the announcement that the waiting lists over nine months are now more than halved for in-patient and day care procedures in the Mid Western Regional Hospital, Dooradoyle.

“Since this government has come into office, they have been seriously trying to tackle in-patient and day case waiting lists in all the hospitals throughout the country. Nationally 1,925 patients were waiting longer than a year for an in-patient or day case procedure in many of the hospitals at the end of February 2011. At the end of February this year, 396 patients were waiting this length of time. The waiting lists had been reduced by 79%. The Minister for Health is committed to radically transforming the health service by cutting costs instead of the level or quality of services and accelerating the pace of reform.

“I would like to publicly acknowledge all in the health care who are assisting in ensuring that waiting lists for in-patient and day case surgery are being greatly reduced.”