Seán Fleming
Question:219. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health when an appointment will be approved for a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33949/13]
View answerThursday, 11 July 2013
Questions (219)
Written answers
Improving access to outpatient services is a key priority for the Government. Collaborating with individual hospitals, the SDU, together with the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) and the HSE, has developed the outpatient waiting list minimum dataset. This allows data to be submitted to the NTPF from hospitals on a weekly basis and, for the first time, outpatient data is available on www.ntpf.ie. The SDU and the NTPF are working closely with hospitals towards addressing long waiting times. Should a patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he or she would be in the best position to take the matter up with the consultant and hospital involved. In relation to the specific hospital appointment query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.