The number of patients waiting over nine months for hospital treatment has grown by a massive 115% in the year to the end of August 2013, according to latest figures from the Department of Health.

The total number on waiting lists in all time categories has grown by 15% in the same period and now stands at 49,695, according to latest figures. The number waiting over nine months is now 4,729, and among these, the numbers waiting over a year for treatment has nearly trebled in 12 months, and now stands at 1,003.

The number of people waiting over six months for treatment has jumped from 8,215 to 12,227 over the past year, a rise of nearly 50%.

The numbers waiting over a year for procedures were supposed to have been reduced to zero at the end of 2011, while the numbers waiting over nine months for treatment were supposed to have been reduced to zero at the end of last year, under targets set by Health Minister James Reilly.

The steady growth in treatment waiting lists in the past year has occurred despite a major initiative by Minister Reilly through his Special Delivery Unit (SDU) to reduce lists - this has included the hiring of expensive consultants to assist the waiting list reduction process.

With no major inroads being made into treatment waiting lists despite the Minister's SDU initiative, the Department of Health and the HSE now face a huge challenge in reaching their set target of having no patients waiting longer than eight months for treatment by the end of this year.

A new report from the SDU on progress to date on reducing waiting lists claims that the overall growth in lists experienced since January has now been reversed.

The SDU appears to be basing this calculation on a minor reduction in the numbers on lists recorded between July and August - a drop of just over 2% in total numbers on lists in all time categories and a 6% reduction in the numbers waiting over 12 months in this period.

However, the report fails to mention that this followed a jump in waiting lists between June and July - when the numbers waiting over 12 months for treatment increased by 25%, the numbers waiting over nine months by 6% and overall numbers waiting increased by 3%.

Following initial progress in reducing waiting lists in 2012, Minister Reilly's SDU has presided over a major increase in lists in the past 12 months. Generally, the numbers waiting in all time categories have increased steadily between August 2012 and August 2013.

Health Minister James Reilly has previously stated that the 'long winter' earlier this year contributed to greater pressure on emergency departments, and an increase in emergency admissions reduced bed capacity and thereby led to waiting lists increasing.

The SDU's report says all hospitals have now developed and commenced necessary action plans to effect the national target of having no patient waiting longer than eight months for treatment by the end of the year.

The latest figures also show that there are still substantial numbers waiting long periods for hospital outpatient appointments.

A total of just over 374,104 people were on outpatient lists at the end of August, compared to just under 370,000 at the end of June.

A total of 84,167 are now waiting over a year for a hospital outpatient appointment. Minister Reilly wants outpatient numbers waiting over a year to be reduced to zero by the end of December.

The SDU report says since March there has been a 3% overall reduction in the numbers on outpatient lists and a 19% reduction in the numbers waiting over 12 months for an outpatient visit.

However, the figures also show the numbers coming on to outpatient lists - those waiting zero to three months - have increased by 6,700 during the same period, and the numbers waiting 3-6 months for an outpatient appointment have risen by just over 10,000.

The SDU report says hospitals have developed and commenced action plans to meet the target of having zero 12 month-plus waiters for outpatient appointments by the end of the year.