Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 July 2014
443. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the urgent waiting list for a hip replacement at Cappagh Hospital is nine-12 months at present; the action which he will take to ensure that Government commitments on maximum waiting times will be met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30337/14]
View answerThe National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2014, 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 Health Service Executive, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists.
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 queries raised by the Deputy, as these are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to her directly.
