Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 January 2013
657. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he intends to publish outpatient waiting times for each publicly contracted hospital consultant in order that patients and their general practitioners may exercise choice based on the length of waiting time in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2985/13]
View answerIn relation to the collection of waiting time data, the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) collects information on (a) hospital in-patients and day case waiting times and (b) outpatient waiting times. In relation to in-patient and daycases, information on the median (average) waiting time in each hospital for the top surgical procedures on the waiting list is published on the NTPF website. In regard to outpatients, the numbers of patients waiting for a first appointment at a consultant-led clinic, by hospital, by time band are published and available on the NTPF website and through the HSE Performance Reports . HIQA's Tallaght Hospital Investigation Report 2012 recommended the benchmarking and publication of outpatient department (OPD) appointment wait times across all hospitals at a national, regional, local and consultant level. National, regional and local wait times are now available and I am advised by the NTPF that it is the intention to publish consultant level waiting time during the course of 2013/14.
