Galway patients face two year wait for MRI scan

Patients are waiting over two years for an MRI scan with new figures showing a shocking 3,000 people in the two Galway hospitals on a waiting list for the vital diagnostic tool.

The figures revealed at this week’s Regional Health Forum West meeting show a total of 90 of the most seriously ill patients – deemed priority one – were waiting up to 91 days or three months for their MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scan.

There were 2,204 patients with more serious complaints waiting up to 772 days.

The longest waiting time for patients deemed the least serious is 807 days, with 634 patients in this category.

Galway City Councillor Catherine Connolly said she knew of one man waiting two years for an MRI who was in such pain he was reduced to taking a long list of painkillers to get through the day.

“How can you stand over this? You have a private facility doing scans, making a profit on public land which we are foolishly facilitating, who can pick and choose patients, yet you have people in real pain waiting two years for a scan,” she exclaimed.

The chief officer for Galway Mayo Roscommon community services within the Saolta Hospital Group, Tony Canavan said there was one patient among the 2,204 patients waiting 772 days. Another waiting a similar period had recently received the scan.

He said there was no doubt that a second MRI machine was needed for the two Galway hospitals but there was no approval for one and no funding secured for it.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.