Outpatient Services
Outpatient services are a core part of our hospital services.
Outpatient care is usually when you have a hospital appointment for:
- a consultation with a specialist or specialist team
- a diagnostic test
- a minor procedure
- treatment
You are not admitted to hospital and you do not stay overnight.
Outpatient services are services planned on an appointment basis. Pathways to planned services are usually through GP referrals.
Read our guide for patients on preparing for an appointment.
Waiting List Action Plan
The Waiting List Action Plan (WLAP) is part of a multi-annual approach to sustainably reduce and reform hospital waiting lists and waiting times. Significant improvements have been made in outpatient waiting times since the WLAP was introduced.
View waiting lists by hospitals and specialties
Outpatient appointments and managing ‘did not attends’
When a patient unexpectedly does not attend an appointment, it is recorded as a ‘did not attend’ or DNA.
Most hospitals have put a DNA strategy in place. DNAs can lead to a waste of staff time and longer waiting times for patients.
Many hospitals send text reminders to patients a short time before their appointment. Where text reminders are not available, patients are usually reminded by letter.
What to do if you cannot attend your hospital appointment
Outpatient attendance dashboard
In 2024 we began publishing a report on outpatient appointments. This report shows the average number of outpatient appointments seen by health region, hospital, specialty and consultant in 28 hospitals.
Find out more about the HSE's outpatient attendance dashboard.