The Irish Medical Organisation says over 270 thousand patients have been on a waiting list to see a consultant for over 12 months.
It says the difficulty in keeping consultants has led directly to long waiting lists for both in-patient and outpatient care.
Its members have voted overwhelmingly to reject the Public Service Pay Agreement because it doesn't recognise the realities of the pandemic.
The IMO's Public Health Committee Chair, Dr Ina Kelly, says consultants are exhausted and are thinking of quitting: