Over 300 patients on treatment waiting list at Laois hospital, a fraction of Offaly figure

More than 300 patients are on the waiting list for medical treatments in Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise, new figures have revealed.

There are 313 adult patients awaiting inpatient and day treatments, with 15 people waiting for more than a year and a half.

Most of them, 222 are waiting less than six months, but 51 are waiting for between six to 12 months, and 26 between a year and 18 months.

There are 2,804 adults and 906 children on the outpatient waiting list however at the Laois hospital. Those who are waiting for over 18 months include 168 adults and 91 children.

It has the shortest waiting list of the three Midland regional hospitals.

The latest figures from the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) show that Tullamore hospital has much higher waiting numbers than Portlaoise.  It has 2,087 patients awaiting inpatient and day treatments, and 16,696 on the outpatient waiting list.

Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar also has much longer waiting lists than Portlaoise has, at 573 on the inpatient /day list and 9,304 on the outpatient waiting list.

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The outpatient waiting lists includes people with appointments.

The NTPF works with hospitals to help patients access healthcare as quickly as possible, in 20 private hospitals and 39 public hospitals throughout the island of Ireland.