Fianna Fáil General Election candidate for Kildare North Cllr Frank O’Rourke has called on the Government to address the growing waiting lists for services at Naas Hospital.

Cllr O’Rourke pointed out that patients are currently expected to wait for weeks on end for physiotherapy and other important services at the hospital.

“Waiting lists for hospital services have been on the rise ever since this Government came to power. The latest national figures show that over 13,000 people are waiting in excess of 18 months for an outpatient appointment. Meanwhile close to 60,000 patients are waiting more than a year for an appointment,” said Cllr O’Rourke.

“Naas Hospital has been particularly hit by this problem. I have spoken to numerous people from Naas and the surrounding area who have raised this with me. They report dissatisfaction with the long waiting times they are expected to endure for services at the hospital. Physiotherapy is particularly in demand and many people report that they have been waiting up to six months to access services at the hospital.

“It’s completely unacceptable that people are forced to wait for months to access physiotherapy. The patients who need physiotherapy are in constant pain and urgently need access to services to aid them in rehabilitation. It’s no use telling these people that they will have to wait 28 weeks or more before getting the treatment they need.

“Some patients needing physiotherapy have been advised to try and access similar services in Dublin. However many of these people, especially older people, find it difficult to access these services as they are way outside of their communities.

“The staff at Naas Hospital are doing their best with scarce resources. There is only so much they can do considering the Government is starving the hospital of the resources it needs. I’m calling on the Government to step up to the plate and ensure that Naas Hospital is adequately funded to help drive down these excessive waiting times,” said Cllr O’Rourke.