Vol. 498 No. 5
158 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health and Children the numbers of persons on the public in-patient waiting list in respect of each hospital and area of specialty at 30 September 1998; and the waiting list for less than 12 months and more than 12 months for each speciality in each hospital. [27982/98]
The Deputy will note from the details I have forwarded to him that waiting times in a number of key specialties have fallen for both adults and children. In the case of adults, there was a noticeable decline in the proportion of patients waiting for longer than the maximum target period of 12 months in cardiac surgery, orthopaedics, plastic surgery and general surgery. For children, there were significant falls in the proportion waiting for longer than the target period of six months in orthopaedics, surgery and urology.
I have provided for a total of £20 million for waiting list activity in 1999. This is a 66 per cent increase over the amount provided in 1998 and is 2.5 times higher than the sum of £8 million provided by the previous Government for 1997.
I have published the report of the review group on the waiting list initiative and am committed to ensuring that its recommended approach is implemented. Towards this end, the extra funding in 1999 of £9 million for services for older people and £2 million for accident and emergency services will be important in helping to free up acute hospital beds which are currently occupied by those not needing acute care. This is a key element of the approach recommended by the review group.
