108pc rise in cancellation of operations at Mayo University Hospital prompts calls for urgent action
Mayo TD Rose Conway-Walsh has called for an urgent plan to be put in place to tackle the rising number of elective care appointments being cancelled at Mayo University Hospital.
When the Emergency Department (ED) at Mayo University Hospital (MUH) becomes overcrowded and the hospital faces bed shortages, a knock-on effect is the cancellation of scheduled elective procedures.
Figures obtained by Sinn Féin show the scale of the problem is worsening, with cancellations of elective procedures rising by almost 108pc between 2024 and 2025.
Deputy Conway-Walsh has urged the Government and the HSE to “ensure that elective care is protected” in Mayo, and to guarantee that MUH is “properly resourced to meet the needs of the population it serves”.
HSE data has shown that 2,697 appointments were cancelled in 2025, compared with 1,297 in 2024
Deputy Conway-Walsh said the situation at MUH is worsening and stated “the government appear to have made no progress” on addressing it, adding that “it is patients across Mayo who are suffering”.
“The cancellation of scheduled appointments at Mayo University Hospital is deeply distressing and frustrating for patients and their families,” she said.
“These are people who have already waited months, and in some cases years, for treatment, only to be told that their appointment has been postponed.”
The Mayo TD said that 2,697 cancellations is “simply not good enough”, noting that many patients may have had their procedures cancelled multiple times.
As a result, she said, patients are “being left in limbo to manage their own pain, while their condition deteriorates and their anxiety about their health increases”.
Deputy Conway-Walsh praised MUH staff for working to the best of their ability but said they are simply not equipped with the necessary resources needed to cope with the volume of patients presenting at the hospital.
On Monday, March 23, MUH recorded 160 patient presentations in just 24 hours, leading to the deferral of some elective procedures that week.
Most recently, HSE West and North West issued a public appeal ahead of the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, urging people to consider all care options and reminding them of out-of-hours GP services, the Roscommon Minor Injury Unit and local pharmacies due to increased demand during holiday periods.
Deputy Conway-Walsh said the cycle of overcrowding leading to cancellations, cancellations leading to longer waiting lists, and longer waits leading to more complex and serious health issues for patients highlights the need for better planning, increased staffing and greater investment in both hospital capacity and community care services.
“All patients in Mayo deserve timely access to healthcare. They should not have to endure repeated cancellations because the system cannot cope with predictable pressures,” she added.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.