A dramatic 54% increase in cancelled outpatient appointments at Cavan General Hospital in the past year is a “devastating inditement of a dangerously understaffed health service” .
Aontú Senator Sarah O’Reilly has revealed that 1,048 appointments were cancelled in 2023 rising dramatically to 1,614 in 2024, an increase of 566 cancellations.
She says
“Frontline staff are stretched to the limit, and more and more appointments are being cancelled because staff are being pulled into overcrowded emergency departments. It’s a domino effect that begins with the shortage of GPs and ends with chaos in hospitals like Cavan General.”
“These numbers represent patients, families, and lives affected by an overwhelmed system,” Many individuals have waited months, sometimes years, for specialist care. Losing their appointments at the last moment is particularly impactful for those who are seriously unwell.
Senator O’Reilly warned that the cancellations are the direct result of a dangerously understaffed health service.
She urged the Government to act decisively by recruiting more frontline healthcare workers, adopting seven-day consultant-led rosters, and implementing a national patient identifier system to improve efficiency and reduce IT errors.
These latest figures follow shocking new data released to Aontú, revealing that 109,000 adverse incidents were recorded in Irish hospitals in 2023, 469 of which tragically resulted in death, 160 suspected to be suicides. “These are heartbreaking statistics,” Senator O’Reilly said. “Each one represents a life lost or damaged and the harrowing impact on loved ones because of a system under immense pressure
Senator O’Reilly also criticised the €2.5 billion spent on hospital error compensation over the past decade. “We’re wasting billions on a flawed system instead of investing in frontline care. Funding should be redirected from administration to hiring, training, and retaining essential hospital staff.”
