32,000 people are waiting for appointments in the region's hospitals.
The Health Minister says Covid is largely to blame for long waiting lists at the midlands hospitals.
Over 32,000 people are waiting for an appointment in Regional Hospitals Tullamore, Portlaoise and Mullingar, with more than 6% of those on a list for over a year.
That total figures includes around 4,000 children in the region.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly says progress is being made, but there's a long way to go: