Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 January 2013
609. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Health the way his targets for in-patient and out-patient waiting times for orthopaedic treatment will affect Galway Hospital Group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2580/13]
View answerThe initial focus for the Special Delivery Unit's Scheduled Care Team has been on waiting times for in-patient and daycase elective surgery. By the end of December 2012, the number of adults having to wait more than 9 months for inpatient and day case surgery was down to 86 from 3,706 in December 2011, a 98% decrease. The number of children waiting over 20 weeks for inpatient or daycase surgery was down to 89 from 1,759 in December 2011, a 95% decrease. The number of patients waiting over 13 weeks for a routine endoscopy procedure went down from 4,590 in December 2011 to 36 at the end of December 2012, a 99% decrease.
These are significant achievements that show what can be done to tackle access to inpatient and daycase services. The progress made in 2012 does not mean the problem is solved, and 2013 will remain very challenging. However, these improvements reflect my commitment, and that of this Government, to ensuring patients can access the acute hospital services they need, when they need them.
Improving access to outpatient services is also a priority for the Government and for the Special Delivery Unit Scheduled Care Team. Building on work already undertaken by the HSE, the NTPF has now taken over the reporting of outpatient waiting time data. For the first time, clear and comprehensive data on this problem is being reported. In the first instance, the data now being collected will allow the SDU and NTPF to target their resources towards those patients who are waiting longest and ensure that they are seen and assessed. A maximum waiting time target has now been set of 12 months for a first time outpatient appointment by 30 November 2013.
In relation to the specific query raised in relation to the Galway group of hospitals, as this is a service issue, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
