New figures show nearly three quarters of a million people were on hospital waiting lists in August.
According to the National Treatment Purchase Fund, over 500,000 of them were outpatients while around 50,000 children were also waiting to be seen.
The highest outpatient waiting lists were at Galway University Hospital, University Hospital Waterford and the Mater in Dublin.
Stephen McMahon from the Irish Patients Association says the figures are worrying ahead of winter.
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