Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 December 2016
91. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Health the reason 1,102 persons were waiting more than a year for inpatient and day case treatment in Beaumont Hospital in October 2016; and the reason the numbers waiting more than a year have increased by more than 18,000% since April 2014. [38040/16]
View answerThis Government is committed to improving waiting times for patients. While recognising that demand for acute hospital services has increased this year with a 4% increase in inpatient and day case activity nationally to end October compared with the same period last year, the important issue for patients is how long they wait.
Under the HSE Service Plan 2016 targets, 95% of people should wait less than 15 months for their inpatient or day-case appointment. The latest NTPF inpatient/day-case waiting list figures indicate that the total number of people on the inpatient/day-case waiting list for Beaumont Hospital is 5,769 and that 87% of people at the hospital are waiting less than 15 months for their inpatient or day-case appointment. 4,667 or 81% of people are waiting less than 12 months for their inpatient or day case appointment.
In August, I asked the HSE to develop a Waiting List Action Plan for 2016 to reduce by year end the number of patients waiting over 18 months on the Inpatient Day-case Waiting List. Since then, approximately 6,500 patients have been removed from the waiting list nationally. Additional funding of €11.25 million has been allocated under the Winter Initiative in order to support patient treatment under this Action Plan.
Budget 2017 provides for the treatment of our longest-waiting patients. €20 million is being allocated to the NTPF in 2017, rising to €55 million in 2018. Planning of these initiatives is currently being finalised. I will shortly be asking the HSE to develop a Waiting List Action Plan for 2017 working collaboratively with the NTPF to address inpatient, day-case and outpatient waiting times.
