New Health Minister Leo Varadkar is facing a major challenge to manage the growing waiting list crisis, with the numbers waiting for public hospital outpatient and inpatient/daycase care continuing to spiral.

Just over 23,000 more people are waiting over 12 months for an outpatient appointment than at the end of last year, according to latest HSE figures.

The total number of patients waiting over a year for an outpatient appointment was 28,185 at the end of May, according to latest HSE figures.

This compares to only 4,937 patients waiting over a year for an outpatient visit at the end of 2013, meaning the numbers waiting have multiplied nearly sixfold since then.

The numbers waiting over a year for outpatients increased by 5,400 between April and May.

The total number of patients waiting for an outpatient appointment in all time categories now stands at 343,412, compared to 300,752 at the end of December last.

Long waiting lists for inpatient and day case hospital treatment are rising at an even greater rate, according to the latest figures.

The number of adults waiting over eight months for a hospital procedure was 5,278 at the end of May, compared to 4,462 at the end of April and 4,350 at the end of March.

Only four patients were waiting over nine months for hospital treatment at the end of last year, so the numbers in this waiting time category have multiplied by a factor of over 1,300 since then.

The total number of adults and children on treatment waiting lists now stands at 50,689, compared to 44,870 at the end of December last.

Previous Health Minister James Reilly for a time had some success in reducing outpatient and in patient waiting lists, but the numbers have started to spiral again this year.

With service demands on cash-strapped hospitals increasing and the HSE placing pressure on hospitals to make additional savings this year, Minister Varadkar will face an uphill struggle in trying to keep a lid on waiting lists.

HSE's deficit continues to grow

Private hospitals got bulk of wait list fund

What James didn't do and what Leo must do