Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 November 2014
95. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health if he or his Department carried out detailed analysis or studies in its preparations for budget 2015 or otherwise of the amount of funding or the funding model that would be required to have an adequate number of medical personnel and facilities to eliminate all waiting lists for surgical and other medical procedures. [42751/14]
View answerAs part of the Estimates process, my Department and the HSE considered the demands in all services, including acute hospital services and the issue of waiting lists. The elimination of waiting lists would entail very significant additional resources, including capital developments. It is not currently possible to provide a comprehensive total of the funding required.
Over the last ten years, the health service has delivered significant productivity gains and there is further scope to build on this by reference to international best practice and in the context of acute hospital reform. Department of Health figures show that between 2004 and 2013 - in-patient discharges increased 11.2% whilst in-patient beds reduced by 12.4% and in-patient length of stay reduced by 13.5% - daycases increased 80.3 % excluding dialysis - total discharges excluding dialysis went up 41.3 % and daycases as a percentage of total discharges went up 27.7% excluding dialysis.
With regard to targeted investment, an additional €25 million has been provided in 2015 to address delayed discharges and thereby improve timelines for admissions from Emergency Departments and waiting lists. Plans to address inpatient and daycase waiting lists are being considered in the 2015 Service Planning process which is currently under way. Actions to address the waiting lists will include the undertaking of additional surgical lists, using theatres outside of regular hours and more efficient inter-hospital use of capacity within hospital groups.
