Monthly waiting list figures - January 2026

The latest hospital waiting list figures for January 2026 were published today by the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF).

The maximum waiting time targets set out in the 2017 Sláintecare report of 10 weeks for an outpatient (OPD) appointment, and 12 weeks for an inpatient or day case (IPDC) procedure, focus on the length of time patients are waiting rather than the number of patients on waiting lists. International bodies, including the World Health Organisation, have emphasised that waiting time is a more important metric than total waiting list numbers in assessing the performance of a health service. Reducing waiting times brings a number of benefits from a patient perspective, including mitigating the risk of conditions worsening and leading to poorer health outcomes, and improving patient satisfaction in care provision.

The multi-annual Action Plan approach initiated in September 2021 is in line with the focus on waiting times, and the Waiting Time Action Plan (WTAP) 2026, published by Minister Carroll MacNeill on 30 January 2026 embodies the government’s commitment to reducing waiting times for patients, thereby improving access to hospital care.

The health service has seen significant progress in reducing the length of time patients are waiting under the multi-annual Action Plan approach, including a reduction of c. 56% or c.157,000 less patients waiting over 12 months since September 2021. In the same period, there was an improvement of c. 43% or 5.2 months in the Weighted Average Wait Time (WAWT) that patients across lists have been waiting.

Notwithstanding the focus on improving waiting times, changes in waiting list volumes continue to be important indicators of waiting list performance.

Waiting list performance last year proved challenging, with increases in waiting list volumes continuing for most of the year and positive signs only evident towards year end. These signs of progress have not continued into the new year and the figures published today indicate that waiting list volumes have increased in January in line with the anticipated multi-annual trend arising from the winter surge in demand for unscheduled and emergency care.

The department will work to improve waiting list performance through ongoing engagement with the Health Service Executive (HSE) and NTPF. This will include engagement through the Waiting List Task Force, which is responsible for the governance and implementation of the Waiting Time Action Plan (WTAP) 2026.

Scheduled care demand has grown significantly over recent years, surpassing pre-pandemic levels and demographic expectations. While the health service does not wish to see a growth in numbers waiting for care, growth in the number of referrals to our hospital services has a positive aspect in that it is indicative of people accessing the services that they need, an increased awareness of services and reflects an expansion of services.

The multi-annual Action Plan approach was initiated in September 2021 to sustainably reduce and reform hospital waiting lists and waiting times.

The government is committed to further reduce waiting times, targeting all patients to be seen within the Sláintecare target of 10 weeks for OPD and 12 weeks for IPDC and Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (GI Scopes).

The Department of Health, the HSE and the NTPF worked closely together to develop the specific actions and targets set out in this year’s Action Plan. The WTAP 2026 sets out 36 actions under the three themes of “Reforming Planned Care”, “Enabling Planned Care” and “Capacity Optimisation.