The Irish Patients' Association says Covid-19 is putting a huge strain on the health system as elective surgeries are being cancelled.
It is describing new hospital waiting list figures as 'fairly horrendous'.
It says the number of patients waiting to get operations has risen by 10,720, while 9,000 people are waiting more than 12 months.
Irish Patients' Associations spokesperson Stephen McMahon says a way must be found to help those waiting long-term for operations.
Mr McMahon said: “We have to try to find some way to ensure that there is protective cover for patients who urgently need their operations for their hip, gynaecological operations or whatever it is, but there needs to be a very clear focus on this because the alternative is that these patients would be the collateral damage of the Covid crisis.”
There are currently 1,850 Covid-19 patients being treated in hospital, of which 184 are in ICU.
