Kildare TD criticises ‘unacceptable’ number of hospital appointment cancellations at Naas General Hospital

A Kildare TD has criticised what she referred to as the 'unacceptable' number of hospital appointment cancellations at Naas General Hospital (NGH).

Deputy Patricia Ryan, Sinn Féin TD for Kildare South, called for 'urgent government action' in order to deal with the issue in a recent, lengthy statement.

She made the comments following responses to Parliamentary questions submitted by Sinn Féin's Spokesperson on Health, David Cullinane, which showed that more than 6000 appointments were cancelled by NGH since the beginning of 2022, an increase of 98 per cent. 

Deputy Ryan said: "The numbers are absolutely disgraceful.

"This government has failed and is continuing to fail our hospitals and our sick people.

"(There were) 64,000 more hospital-led cancellations in 2023 than in 2022... these are not just figures, each one represents a person suffering unnecessarily due to Government failure to tackle hospital overcrowding!"

Patricia Ryan TD (Sinn Féin). File photograph.

The Monasterevin-based politician continued: "This Government has consistently failed to plan for overcrowding, putting pressure on waiting lists and directly causing these cancellations — cancellations which affect the lives and health of those who are waiting on badly needed treatments and health care."

She also alleged: "The government's attempts to shift the burden on to already overcrowded and stretched emergency department is only making the problem worse and leaving patients suffering on waiting lists for longer."

In addition, Deputy Ryan said: "This government clearly has no plan to address overcrowding — it’s time to change to a government that does have a plan and the will to carry that plan through."

She then went on to detail how her party would aim to tackle the issue: "Sinn Féin in government would: increase hospital bed capacity by 2400 over next five years to tackle overcrowding; invest in home support and step down care to speed up hospital discharges; invest in access to diagnostics, meaning less delays in access treatment; and fast-track elective centres, helping to separate emergency care from unscheduled care and increase theatre capacity."

Deputy Ryan also said: "All these solutions are absolutely essential to tackle overcrowding, reduce waiting list and prevent unnecessary cancellations."

She concluded her statement by saying: "This government has been failing our sick people and our health service for long enough, its time for a change of government — that government is Sinn Féin."