Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 September 2017
163. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health his views on the length of public waiting lists for non-essential surgeries (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40984/17]
View answerI acknowledge that waiting times are often unacceptably long and I am conscious of the burden that this places on patients and their families.
Reducing waiting times for the longest waiting patients is one of this Government's key priorities. Consequently, Budget 2017 allocated €20 million to the NTPF, rising to €55 million in 2018.
Over recent years activity in acute hospitals has increased, with the total number of discharges of inpatients and daycases rising around 34% between 2006 and 2015. Last year alone there was a 4% increase in inpatient and daycase activity over 2015, and in 2016 1.69 million patients received inpatient or daycase treatment in our hospitals, an increase of almost 40,000 on the previous year.
Clinical need will determine that some patients require care more urgently than others and it is appropriate that patients are prioritised on this basis. However, in order to provide a fair and equitable service, it is also essential that waiting times are reduced by addressing the needs of those patients longest waiting through effective chronological scheduling.
In order to reduce the numbers of long-waiting patients, I asked the HSE to develop Waiting List Action Plans for 2017 in the areas of Inpatient/Daycase, Scoliosis and Outpatient Services. The Inpatient/Daycase Action Plan is being delivered through a combination of normal hospital activity, as well as insourcing and outsourcing initiatives utilising NTPF funding. Under the Inpatient/Daycase Plan, since early February, over 23,800 patients have come off the Inpatient/Daycase Waiting List.
The NTPF has advised that to date 5,901 patients have been authorised for treatment in private hospitals under its initiatives, 2,235 patients have accepted an offer of treatment in a private hospital and that 1,112 patients have received their procedure. The NTPF has also indicated that 2,841 patients have been authorised for treatment in public hospitals under the Plan’s insourcing initiatives, 910 offers of treatment have been accepted and 285 patients have been treated.
Under the Oupatient Plan, since early February, more than 84,200 patients have come off the Outpatient Waiting List.
