Vol. 555 No. 2
119 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Health and Children in regard to the commitment given on 6 May 2002, the progress which has been made towards eliminating hospital waiting lists within two years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18042/02]
The health strategy sets out the target that by the end of 2004, all public patients requiring admission to hospital will be scheduled to commence treatment within a maximum of three months of referral from an out-patient department.
A sum of €43.8 million has been made available to health agencies in 2002 under the waiting list initiative to support waiting list procedures.
Considerable progress has been made in reducing waiting times for public patients. The total number of adults waiting for more than 12 months for treatment in the target specialties has decreased by 20% between December 2000 and March 2002.
In the period March 2001 to March 2002 there has been a reduction of 62% in the number of adults waiting more than 12 months for cardiac surgery and a reduction of 67% in the number of children waiting more than six months for cardiac surgery. There has been a reduction of 34% in the number of adults waiting for more than 12 months for ENT procedures and a fall of 44% in the number of adults waiting more than 12 months for ophthalmology procedures in the period March 2001 to March 2002.
While the waiting list initiative will continue to fund additional elective activity, a new dedicated national treatment purchase fund is being used to target those waiting longest for treatment by purchasing treatments for public patients in private hospitals. The national treatment purchase fund expects to treat up to 1,900 patients this year.
