The number of patients waiting for more than eight months for inpatient or day case hospital treatment rose from 1,764 in January to 8,692 in August, according to the HSE's latest performance assessment report.

The report also shows that the number of people waiting for more than one year for an outpatient appointment rose from 9,604 patients in January to 41,604 in August.

Commenting on the figures, Health Minister, Leo Varadkar, said that they ‘reflect increased activity and demand for health services'.

"The report presents a very mixed picture with improvements in primary care and ambulance services but a further deterioration in hospital services. Emergency admissions are up 2%, outpatient attendances up by 3%, and homecare packages were 20% ahead of target. In part, as a result of increased emergency admissions, elective or planned admissions were down about 5% contributing to longer waiting times for outpatients," he noted.

He said that the figures relating to hospitals are ‘of great concern' and admitted that ‘waiting times in general are clearly getting worse'.

"There are roughly 700 delayed discharges in our acute hospitals and the waiting time for placements under Fair Deal at 15 weeks is contributing to this. While four out of five of adults are getting their procedure or hospital appointment within eight months of referral, the number of people waiting far too long is increasing," Minister Varadkar commented.

He said that further action is needed to ‘speed up delayed discharges and reduce the number of people who are waiting far too long for operations or outpatient appointments'. However he pointed out that any new initiatives and resources provided for 2015 ‘will not show up in performance assessment reports until the middle of next year'.

As a result, ‘the numbers are likely to get worse over the next few months before they get better'.

However, Minister Varadkar's comments have been severely criticised by Fianna Fail's health spokesperson, Billy Kelleher.

"I am appalled at the attitude of the Minister for Health, who admits that the figures released are of great concern, but who has no plans to do anything to address the problem. In fact, he has resigned himself to the fact that the numbers are likely to get worse over the next few months before they get better. He is effectively condemning thousands of patients to extended hospital waiting times, without putting any plan in place to remedy the crisis," he commented.

Deputy Kelleher added that while the Minister may get plaudits for his ‘frank speaking on the issue', this will be of little use to those who continue to wait for appointments.