Almost 3,500 waiting on orthopaedic consultation at Letterkenny hospital

Upwards of 3,500 people are awaiting an orthopaedic consultation at Letterkenny University Hospital, it has been confirmed.

Of the 3,492 people waiting a first consultation, 647 have been waiting for more than 18 months with 1,119 waiting between a year and a year-and-a-half.

There are 685 of those people awaiting orthopaedic procedures with 210 of those waiting for more than a year-and-a-half.

Councillor Gerry Crawford was provided with the stark figures at a Regional Health Forum West meeting.

“Letterkenny University Hospital continues to work with the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) to validate all

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waiting lists and to offer patients earlier appointments through outsourcing,” Saolta University Health Care Group said.

“NTPF full package of care is been offered to those awaiting initial consultation in Orthopaedics, in chronological order,

with 597 offers issued year to date and 310 patients accepting.”

Orthopaedic waiting lists are one of the highest and the public system is unable to meet the overall demand, the meeting heard.

“We are targeting the longest waiters, those who have been waiting for the longest period of time,” a spokesperson said.