Over 625,000 people are waiting for a hospital appointment across the country.
It is a rise of more than 1,500 on the previous month, and includes over 100,000 waiting for at least 18 months.
The figures for February were released by the National Treatment Purchase Fund.
Dr Padraig McGarry, President of the Irish Medical Organisation, says we know what the problems are:
“The issues that have brought about this haven’t changed - and the solutions haven’t changed either,” he said.
Until the health service is corrected in such a way to address that, we’re going to be having this conversation many, many more times.
Dr McGarry added that he is “not entirely surprised” by the figures.
“This has been the pattern that has been emerging over the last number of years,” he said, adding that the number emphasises the “lack of capacity in the system”.
