Almost 30,000 patients removed from outpatient waiting lists in 2020 validation
Validation of outpatient waiting lists paused during 2020 back up and running
Almost 30,000 patients were removed from the national outpatient waiting list as a result of validation carried out during the year.
Between January 1 and the end of December 2020, the latest figures show a total of 29,479 patients were removed from the outpatient waiting list as a result of validation.
The National Centralised Validation Unit within the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), advised the Department of Health that the validation of the waiting list process, suspended at the end of March 2020 due to Covid-19, recommenced six months ago at the beginning of August.
A woman who has been cocooning since the start of the pandemic has spoken of her disappointment after urgent hip replacement surgery was delayed for a fourth time.
Katherine Murtagh (24) has an autoimmune condition called systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis and has had surgery appointments cancelled due to the Covid-19 situation.
The artist, who lives in Tullamore, Co Offaly, spent Christmas alone to protect herself from the virus but she said it was upsetting to see friends posting pictures of house parties on New Year’s Eve.
Ms Murtagh started studying art and design at Galway Technical Institute in 2019 but had to leave due to the toll it was taking on her body.
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A woman aged 79 and a Covid-19 ward nurse are the first two people to be vaccinated with the Covid-19 vaccine in the Republic of Ireland at St James s Hospital in Dublin which is in the same HSE hospital group as Portlaoise.
Annie Lynch, 79, from the Liberties area of Dublin was vaccinated on Tuesday, December 29 in St James s. She is a resident in the Mercer s Institute for Successful Ageing at St James s. Annie is the first person in the 26 counties to get the jab. I feel very privileged to be the first person in Ireland to receive the vaccine,” said Annie after getting the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine. There is a bit of hope there now .