Covid has resulted in almost one million fewer hospital appointments here

There have been almost one million fewer public hospital appointments as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association says there will be 200,000 fewer appointments this year in hospitals.

That's on top of the 723,000 cancelled appointments last year - while a record 860,000 people are on waiting lists.

The predictions are based on HSE Service Plan for 2021 which, Professor Rob Landers - vice president of the I-H-C-A - doesn't think will address the problem.