Public patients cannot be “locked out” of the hospital system when six months of pent up demand is added to massive existing waiting lists, a consultant warned today. He said around 700,000 public patients were on waiting lists before the pandemic hit and with the pause in elective care this has created a new backlog.. Martin Varley, secretary general of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association said it has led to waiting lists in private hospitals which were not seen previously. “Furthermore, the private hospital contract is prohibiting the provision of urgent care required by patients with non-COVID illnesses. “This is leading to the accumulation on waiting lists of a large number of patients who require urgent care.

Source: Irish Independent June 02, 2020 14:52 UTC