Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 24 Oct 2001

Vol. 542 No. 6

Written Answers. - Hospital Waiting Lists.

Gay Mitchell

Question:

197 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of people on the waiting list at the end of each three month period since June 1997; the number of people treated in the public health service; and the number removed from the list by the verification process or other reasons. [25492/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin):

The number of people on hospital waiting lists at the end of each three month period since June 1997 is as follows:

Year	1st Quarter	2nd Quarter	3rd Quarter	4th Quarter
1997		30,453	32,252	32,206
1998	33,847	34,331	35,405	36,883
1999	34,996	33,924	33,555	36,855
2000	34,370	31,851	29,657	27,857
2001	26,382	26,659

The number of in-patients discharged from hospital or treated as day cases in publicly funded acute hospitals between 1997 and 2000 is as follows:

	1997	1998	1999	2000
In-patient Discharges	536,236	537,841	531,456	549,074
Day Cases	249,472	270,240	296,631	319,391
Total	785,708	808,081	828,087	868,465

Note: The figures for 1999 and 2000 are provisional.

The removal of persons from waiting lists may be due to a number of factors such as ongoing validation exercises by health agencies, as recommended by the review group on waiting lists in 1998, removal due to medical or other circumstances and the impact of procedures funded under the waiting list initiative. Information in respect of these categories of persons is not routinely collated by my Department.