On average, Irish patients waited 182 days for hip-replacement surgery compared with the OECD average of 116 days. It said the new measure of calculating waiting times showed an increase in average waiting times over previous figures of 10-80 per cent depending on procedure. “In this analysis, Ireland’s waiting times were found to be substantially longer than those in the UK,” it said. ESRI researchers said it was unknown what impact private patients using both public and private hospitals had on waiting times. The ESRI said reporting current waiting times was particularly relevant during the Covid-19 pandemic as many normal hospital procedures had been suspended last summer which had resulted in increased waiting times.

Source: The Irish Times March 30, 2021 17:37 UTC