Calls have been made for the appointment of someone to be directly responsible for the management of hospital waiting lists.
The comments from the Director of the Irish Patients Association come after figures revealed that 1 in 4 people in Ireland are waiting for hospital, diagnostic or therapy treatment.
The Irish Hospitals Consultants Association says there has been a 54% increase in people waiting for treatments since the launch of the Sláintecare plan in 2017.
Head of the Patients Association Stephen McMahon says the issue has gone under the radar for too long:
"We have had 1400 travelers who have delayed or missed their flight, 10 times that missed their operations and their appointments, and there certainly doesn't seem to be the same focus on getting the services into shape for the benefit of patients."
