I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I welcome the opportunity to address the House. The Government recognises that waiting times for many scheduled appointments and procedures are too long, not only in Cork, but in hospitals throughout the country. The multi-annual action plan approach was initiated in September 2021 to substantially reduce and reform hospital waiting lists and waiting times. Since the commencement of the action plan approach, the health service has seen significant progress in reducing the length of time patients are waiting, including a reduction of 56%, or 157,000, in the number of patients waiting over 12 months. Orthopaedic services are provided in Cork by Cork University Hospital and South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital, with CUH being the trauma centre and South Infirmary providing elective procedures. I was interested to read that the waiting lists in CUH and the South Infirmary are like chalk and cheese. There are currently 199 patients waiting for an outpatient appointment at CUH and 7,444 patients waiting at the South Infirmary. Staffing at the South infirmary has increased by 232 whole-time equivalents since the end of December, from 804 to 1,033, an increase of 28%. The budget increased from €62 million in 2020 to €97 million in 2025, which is a significant increase of 56%. The Deputy can see that a lot of investment has gone in, although the demand is still significant. The Government remains fully committed to increasing elective care capacity through the elective ambulatory care programme. This is being delivered in two phases: with a national network of surgical hubs in the first instance to meet medium-term demand and capacity and, in the longer term, a national network of elective treatment centres in Cork, Dublin and Galway. In Cork, construction of the surgical hub at CUH is well advanced and is expected to open in quarter 3 of this year. Once fully operational, it is anticipated that the hub will deliver annual activity of 8,000 day-case procedures, 5,700 minor operations and some 18,500 outpatient appointments. The Deputy will know that the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, published the capital plan today, and that €34.5 million was allocated to complete the surgical hub in Cork. That should make a significant difference. I was delighted to see that it will open in quarter 3 of this year. There are several hubs that are midway through construction, and the sooner we get them open, the better. They will not be affected by issues in the acute level 4 hospitals or, for example, by procedures having to be cancelled because of staffing. We can already see the impact they have made in Dublin. Until the capacity is in place in the public system to meet the increased levels of demand being experienced, it is appropriate that we make use of all available additional capacity to ensure that patients have access to the care they need. Accordingly, the multi-annual action plan approach targets the delivery of additional capacity for patients in the public and private systems through a co-ordinated approach by the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund. The NTPF works with hospitals throughout the country to offer and provide the funding for treatment to clinically suitable, long-waiting patients.

Sentiment score: 0.26

I thank the Deputy for the manner in which he has raised this issue. I can give him a bit of good news. The HSE south-west region employs 12 whole-time equivalent consultant orthopaedic surgeons based at Cork University Hospital and the South Infirmary Hospital. One vacant whole-time equivalent post is due to be filled by March 2026, which should have an impact. To return to the waiting list, in the last six months, 3,174 people have come onto the waiting list, and a significant number are waiting over 18 months. The Deputy might send on the details of the two cases that he raised, and we will see if we can do anything to expedite that. The quality of life of somebody who is waiting for orthopaedic surgery is very much impaired, especially people in their later years. Nobody can stand over a situation where people have to wait for that length of time. We will see if we can do anything to expedite that, and there might be a cancellation or something like that. It would make a big difference. We will have the funding for the waiting list initiative. It will be in place and will make a significant difference. I have no doubt the South Infirmary will receive its fair share with regard to the 12 orthopaedic surgeons being put in place and the surgical hub being opened in the third quarter. I am happy to engage with the Deputy on the two cases he raised.

Sentiment score: 0.17