The healthcare system is facing a “tsunami of missed care” due to non-Covid care being put on hold during the pandemic according to Professor Robert Landers of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association who addressed the Oireachtas Health Committee today.
He has warned that the health service will not be able to deal with the issues coming down the line in a timely fashion.
“There is no doubt that we’re facing a tsunami of missed care or late care, and unlike the Covid crisis we know exactly the scale of this and it will stretch our health services to the absolute limit”.
“There’s equally no doubt that the public health system as currently structured does not have the capacity either in terms of personnel or infrastructure or beds to deal in a timely fashion with that tsunami.”
There are currently more than 800,000 people on hospital waiting lists. The IHCA vice president was among a number of health representatives from the IHCA, Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) and Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) who were before the Health Committee on Tuesday to outline the challenges facing the sector in the midst of the pandemic.
IHCA Vice President @roblandersIRL tells the Oireachtas Health Committee: "We haven't a hope of matching the demand for post Covid care" until we address the consultant recruitment and retention crisis with over 700 vacant posts. @DonnellyStephen @davidcullinane #CareCantWait pic.twitter.com/XEKF6jh5EE
— IHCA (@IHCA_IE) February 9, 2021
