Next in line How are specialties across surgery and medicine to achieve any level of carefully constructed return to non Covid care in the face of spiralling waiting lists? asks Valerie Ryan A palpable shift in messaging from Government, the Department of Health, the Health Service Executive (HSE) hospitals, clinicians and patient groups has become apparent. It’s all about the restart of services but against bleak and lengthening national waiting lists. How are specialties across surgery and medicine to achieve any level of carefully constructed return to non Covid care in the face of spiralling waiting lists? How could numbers have reached the unacceptable level of over 860,000 people on some form of waiting list for inpatient or outpatient care?