Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 October 2018
99. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the extent to which waiting lists for various procedures are likely to be improved in the course of 2019 having regard to the demographics and the improvements made or to be made in terms of improving staffing levels and facilities and the maximisation of the utilisation of theatre facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43485/18]
View answerReducing waiting time for patients for hospital operations and procedures is a key priority for the Government. This year has seen ongoing improvements with the number of patients waiting for inpatient and daycase procedures (IPDC), now at 72,700 from the peak of 86,100 in July 2017. This represents a 16% reduction in the overall number of patients waiting for an inpatient or day case procedure.
In Budget 2019 the Government has further increased investment in this area, with funding to the NTPF to increase from €55m in 2018 to €75m in 2019. In 2019, the NTPF plans to deliver 25,000 Inpatient Day Case treatments, building on the 20,000 procedures delivered in 2018. In addition, 5,000 Gastro Intestinal Scopes will be carried out, bringing to 9,000 the additional scope activity provided by the NTPF since the start of 2018. Furthermore, 40,000 Outpatient appointments will be arranged as part of 2019 activity. It is expected that a further 34,000 patients who no longer need treatment will be removed from the waiting lists by the NTPF Central Validation Unit.
As a result, the NTPF projects by year end to reduce the overall number of patients on the IPDC waiting list from just over 86,000 in July 2017, to 70,000 at the end of 2018 and to under 59,000 by the end of 2019.
My Department is working closely with the NTPF and the HSE to finalise the 2019 Waiting List Initiatives before the end of this year. This will include the continuing engagement of the NTPF with the HSE and public hospitals, inviting proposals for waiting list initiatives either through the private sector or through public sector insourcing. The NTPF will provide funding to the solutions proposed if appropriate.
More broadly, the recent Budget provided an increase of €1.05 billion in Health funding. This brings the health budget for 2019 to €17 billion. This is the highest level of Health investment in the history of the State. This will allow the health service to meet additional demands caused by the demographic pressure of a growing and ageing population. The additional funding provided as part of Budget 2019 will directly support a range of additional services including initiatives proposed in the Sláintecare Report and committed to in the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy. Sláintecare will focus on meeting the demand for health care that our population currently has, and which will continue to grow in future years.
The Health Service Executive is currently in the process of finalising its National Service Plan for 2019, in consultation with officials from my Department. This will inform the activity to be provided by the HSE next year as well as informing the number of new staffing positions that will need to be created in 2019.
