IMO slams waiting lists for children as ‘national disgrace’

The IMO has described revelations that over 200,000 children are on waiting lists for health care services as a “national disgrace”.

Dr Matthew Sadlier, of the IMO Consultant Committee said that the news highlighted the reason why the IMO was currently balloting members for industrial action.

“These waiting lists are inextricably linked to the recruitment and retention crisis in the health services with over 500 empty consultant posts,” said Dr Sadlier.   

“You can’t reduce the waiting lists if you don’t have the consultants you need to see people on those waiting lists in the first place. It really is as simple as that.”

The IMO is currently balloting members on industrial action in a long running campaign to increase consultant numbers and to reverse the decision to cut pay for new consultants by 30 per cent.

Dr Sadlier said that extensive waiting times for young children in particular was doing “horrendous damage”.

“Waiting lists that would not be tolerated in any other modern health service have been almost normalised in Ireland but when we realise what this means for vulnerable children, this must act as a wake-up call for the wider political system to say enough is enough.”