UHG now the ‘worst in country’ for waiting list

Galway’s public health service stands accused of ‘fiddling figures’ in order to portray that there are fewer sick people languishing on waiting lists.

It has been confirmed that the number of people on inpatients’ waiting lists at University Hospital Galway (UHG) has spiralled by 7,000 within a year.

In 2013, regional health forum members were told that the inpatients’ waiting list at UHG had been reduced to 1,300.

It emerged this week, however, that that figure now stands at 8,300.

Galway City Councillor, Pádraig Conneely, who revealed the figures at the health forum meeting, said UHG was now the, “worst hospital in the country for inpatient waiting lists”.

This, he said, was “embarrassing” and a “disgrace” for a hospital that was “supposed to be a centre of excellence”.

Cllr Conneely lashed the previous hospital chairman, Bill Maher, for providing “fantasy figures” last year. He said that the 2013 figures couldn’t have been correct if they had jumped by 7,000 in only 12 months.

He said that a city woman came to him last week to complain that she was put on an inpatient waiting list in October, 2013. “Sixteen months later and she is still waiting. This is despite the fact that she was considered as an emergency,” he said.

Tony Canavan, Chief Operating officer of SAOLTA University Health Care Group, which includes UHG, outlined to the meeting that he was less concerned about the embarrassment caused to the hospital and more concerned about the patients on the lists.

He said there was a number of reasons why the waiting lists had increased, including that the number of referrals to UHG had jumped considerably in 2014.

Mr Canavan said Galway was the busiest hospital in the country, and had the busiest Emergency Department in the country, which contributed to waiting lists.

He outlined a number of measures being taken to address the issue, including referring Galway-based patients to hospitals in Roscommon and Mayo for certain inpatients procedures.