A major new study of people living in Tallaght in Dublin has found that over half of those who are on waiting lists to be seen at Tallaght Hospital have already been waiting for at least six months.

Almost one-third (32%) have been waiting 13 months or longer.

The study looked at almost 350 households in the area, where 1,082 people were living. This follows a similar study in 2001 and is therefore the only study of its kind in Ireland to provide a detailed ‘change over time' examination of the changing health needs of a local population.

When it came to Tallaght Hospital - one of the busiest hospitals in the country - almost one in four people (23%) had attended the hospital in the previous 12 months. The majority were satisfied with their care and felt that the facility benefits the surrounding area.

Some 40% of primary household carers, i.e. the person who takes most responsibility for managing the household, had used A&E services in the last 12 months, with just 54% stating that they were satisfied with their care.

Reasons for not being satisfied included long waiting times and slow speed of care.

Almost one in 10 (9%) of household members were on a waiting list , 48% of whom were waiting less than six months. However, 20% were already waiting between seven and 12 months and 32% were waiting 13 months or longer.

Some 54% of primary carers described waiting times as ‘very unreasonable'.

Responding to the study, Tallaght Hospital said that it is committed to using the findings over time ‘to inform the future provision of services as part of its wider community engagement strategy'.

"Tallaght Hospital has a very large catchment area extending across the region, but it also plays a central role in its immediate community. This study gives us important additional health insights as well as feedback on how local residents interact with the hospital and their views on its services.

"Given the level of public interaction with the hospital there will always be concerns expressed, such as in relation to waiting times, and as a hospital we are working to address these issues," commented the hospital's CEO, David Slevin.

Meanwhile, the study also found that when it came to general health, 71% of primary carers described their health as ‘good' or ‘very good'. However, 67% also admitted to experiencing stress in the last 12 months. This marked an increase since 2001, when 59% said they were stressed.

Reasons for stress included money concerns, unemployment and illness. Some 44% admitted to visiting their GP because of stress, while 23% had taken a prescription medication for it.

At least one in five people (22%) living in the households that were surveyed were suffering with at least one chronic illness, with heart disease the most common.

Over half (55%) of primary carers had a medical card and 14% had private medical insurance, down from 19% in 2001. Almost 30% had neither a medical card or insurance.

The study also found that attitudes towards GPs in the area were mostly positive.

"Respondents indicated that they have a positive relationship with their GP, with 90% stating that they would recommend their GP to a friend or family member and 90% also stating that they were satisfied with their GP," commented the study's lead author, Dr Catherine Darker, of Trinity College Dublin.

However, the study also noted that almost half of primary carers were not satisfied with the current out-of-hours GP service in the area.

When asked what healthcare services are most needed in Tallaght, many people pinpointed psychology and addiction-related services.

The study also noted that 44% of households include at least one smoker, down from 69% in 2001.

The Health Assets and Needs Assessment (HANA) Tallaght 2014 was undertaken by the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at Trinity College Dublin, and funded by the Adelaide Health Foundation and Tallaght Hospital.