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Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 December 2013

Thursday, 19 December 2013

Questions (375, 387)

Terence Flanagan

Question:

375. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the action being taken to ensure that surgeons are kept busy at all times in hospitals in view of what has been highlighted recently in the media; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54983/13]

View answer

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

387. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on a statement by Ireland's chief surgeon that surgeons are sitting idle in public hospitals while patIents are being sent for procedures at private hospitals at huge expense to the taxpayer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55116/13]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 375 and 387 together.

The agreement with the Consultant Representative Bodies in September 2012 encompasses a range of flexibilities to enhance productivity and efficiency and to maximise the availability of consultants. These include consultant availability for rostering for any five days out of seven as opposed to weekdays and rostering of consultants on a 16/7 (8 a.m. to midnight) or 24/7 basis in services where this is required.

The ability of hospitals to schedule and complete elective procedures is dependent on the availability of sufficient bed and theatre capacity. In periods where high levels of ED admissions occur, this has an inevitable impact on that capacity. In instances where there is insufficient bed and/or theatre capacity, the HSE may decide, in consultation with hospital management, to outsource elective treatment to other hospitals which have available capacity at that time.

In order to reverse the trend in inpatient and daycase waiting list performance since the start of the year, the SDU/NTPF together with the HSE have developed a national intervention strategy. All hospitals have commenced necessary action plans to get as close as possible to the national wait time target of 8 months by 31st December, with further decreases in the numbers waiting anticipated before year end. The HSE is focusing this year on further improving access wait times for both unscheduled care and scheduled care programmes. In the period from 25/7/2013 to 21/11/2013 there has been a 5% reduction in total numbers waiting and a 42% reduction in total numbers waiting longer than 8 months with the previous growth trend in inpatient/daycare lists now reversed.

In terms of usage of private capacity, for public patients in both hospitals and private nursing homes, this is not a new practice; it was first introduced through the National Treatment Purchase Fund in 2003.

Question No. 376 answered with Question No. 367.
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