Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 July 2013
1129. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a detailed yearly breakdown in tabular form of the average waiting times for outpatient services for the Galway Roscommon Hospital Group, University Hospital Galway and Merlin Park Hospital for the years 2010 to date in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35354/13]
View answer1130. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a detailed yearly breakdown, in tabular form, of the average waiting times for surgery for the Galway Roscommon Hospital Group, University Hospital Galway and Merlin Park Hospital for the years 2010 to date in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35355/13]
View answer1131. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a detailed yearly breakdown, in tabular form, of the average waiting times for the emergency department for the Galway Roscommon Hospital Group, University Hospital Group and Merlin Park Hospital for the years 2010 to date in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35356/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1129 to 1131, inclusive, together.
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 are available on www.ntpf.ie. For 2013, a maximum waiting time target has been set of 12 months for a first-time consultant-led outpatient appointment and this is reflected in the HSE service plan. The SDU and the NTPF will work closely with hospitals towards achievement of the maximum waiting time.
The National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2013, has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has been adopted by the HSE, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists.
In relation to the specific hospital queries raised by the Deputy, as these are service matters, they have been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
