Dáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 7 September 2018
873. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the number of children awaiting an outpatient appointment in the three Dublin children's hospitals for more than 18 months has risen (details supplied); the actions he will take to address the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36518/18]
View answerI acknowledge that Outpatient 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 hospital procedures is a key priority of this Government.
The latest NTPF figures show that 61% of patients on the Children’s Hospital Group (CHG) Outpatient Waiting list are waiting 12 months or less and 69% of patients are waiting 15 months or less.
The CHG advises that there has been a major investment in additional consultant posts this year to reduce waiting times including orthopaedics and cardiology. As part of the national model of care for children an additional 12 Consultant posts are being recruited in three specialities, namely General Paediatrics (4 posts), Paediatric Emergency Medicine (6 posts) and Paediatric Radiology (2 posts). These consultant posts will join the cross-city department/s of Paediatric Emergency Medicine (PEM), General Paediatrics and Paediatric Radiology to support the delivery of care at the existing children’s hospitals; Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Group, Temple Street Children’s University Hospital, the National Children’s Hospital, Tallaght University Hospital and at the Paediatric Outpatients and Urgent Care Centre at Connolly upon opening in 2019.
In addition, the planned new national children’s hospital will in time expand the physical capacity needed to increase activity and reduce waiting times in all paediatric services to help tackle current and future challenges in child health.
The CHG advises that the challenge for the children’s hospitals is the volume of patients referred to the three hospitals and the Consultant capacity to deliver the service. The children’s hospital have and continue to work with specialists to reduce waiting lists. The National Model of Care aims to deliver a hub and spoke model of care by providing treatment as near to the child’s home as possible depending on their clinical needs.
Earlier this year, I approved the establishment of a Central Waiting List Validation function in the NTPF. The new office will consolidate and centralise validation activity for all Inpatient / Daycase and Outpatient waiting lists, thus ensuring a standardisation of approach across all waiting lists and all hospitals.
