Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Primary Care an TD for Kerry John Brassil says women in Kerry are waiting too long for what should be routine gynaecology appointments.
New figures released to Deputy Brassil reveal that there are 761 women on the list for an appointment at University Hospital Kerry, with more than 100 waiting over a year.
Deputy Brassil explained, “Last weekend it was revealed that more than 30,000 women across the country are waiting for an out-patient appointment to see a gynaecologist – a 43% increase since 2014. It appears from the figures released to me that the situation in Kerry is in line with those statistics, which is a very worrying development.
“Waiting lists across all specialties are spiralling out of control and gynaecology is the latest to suffer under Fine Gael’s failed health policies.
“There is no doubt that this government’s failure to recruit and retain consultants is having an impact on these long waiting lists, and now women in Kerry and across the country are suffering. Early intervention is so important, yet women in Kerry could be facing waits of over one year to be seen by a gynaecologist. This is a shocking record for a first world country.
“We should be providing better care to women in 2019. We have the third highest fertility rate in the EU but less than half of the EU average number of specialists in obstetrics and gynaecology. This deficit must be addressed so that women can receive more timely assessments and intervention”, concluded Deputy Brassil.
