2,187 hospital appointments were cancelled at both Cavan and Monaghan hospitals in 2024.
The figures reveal 1,614 appointments were cancelled at Cavan General Hospital compared to 1,048 in 2023. While at Monaghan Hospital, 573 cancelations took place last year compared to 741 the year previous.
The figures were provided in a parliamentary reply to Aontu. Nationally 300,000 hospital appointments were cancelled across the country last year, which equates to 772 every day.
The rise of cancellations at Cavan General represent an increase of 54% over the 12 month period. Defending the increase overall nationally, the HSE said that in 2023, it delivered more than 648,000 inpatient treatments, 1,194 million day cases and 3.65 million outpatient appointments.
Local Aontu Senator Sarah O'Reilly says the figure of cancellations are alarming and very concerning.
These are not just numbers these are patients, families, and lives affected by a system that is clearly overwhelmed,” said Senator O’Reilly. “Many of these individuals have waited months, sometimes years, for specialist care. To have that taken away at the last minute is devastating, particularly for those who are seriously unwell.”
Senator O’Reilly warned that the cancellations are the direct result of a dangerously understaffed health service. “Frontline staff are stretched to the limit, and more and more appointments are being cancelled because staff are being pulled into overcrowded emergency departments. It’s a domino effect that begins with the shortage of GPs and ends with chaos in hospitals like Cavan General.”
She said the Government must finally take responsibility and act decisively. “We need to recruit more frontline healthcare workers. There must be a move to seven-day consultant-led rosters, so that patients don’t get left behind when hospitals are overwhelmed. And it’s time we introduced a national patient identifier system to improve efficiency and avoid the distress caused by outdated IT errors."
