Louise O'Reilly
Question:326. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if bariatric surgeries will be carried out under the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22029/18]
View answerTuesday, 22 May 2018
Questions (326)
Written answers
Improving waiting times for hospital procedures is a key commitment in the Programme for Government and in 2018 €50 million was allocated to the NTPF to provide treatment for patients.
The recently launched Inpatient/Day Case Action Plan outlines the combined impact of HSE and National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) activity in 2018.
Under the Plan, the HSE will deliver 1.14 million hospital operations or procedures. In addition, the NTPF will provide 20,000 inpatient day cases across a range of specialties through both outsourcing and HSE insourcing.
The Action Plan has been developed to ensure an appropriate balance between high volume activities and offering treatment to complex long waiting patients. For very long waiting patients, the Action Plan sets a target that the NTPF will provide 1,200 procedures in 2018. This could include those waiting for bariatric surgery. As outlined in the Plan, the NTPF will do this by inviting public hospitals to seek solutions for very long waiters either in the private sector or through insourcing. The NTPF will provide funding to the solutions proposed if appropriate.
The NTPF confirm that they have received proposals from two Hospital Groups for bariatric services and these are currently being reviewed.