Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 November 2018
176. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health if orthopaedic procedures will be funded under the National Treatment Purchase Fund in 2019 in view of the delays for patients in areas such as counties Cavan and Monaghan (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46335/18]
View answerI am committed to tackling hospital waiting lists and improving access for patients to services.
The Inpatient/Day Case Action Plan 2018 which was published in April outlines the plans to reduce the number of patients waiting for treatment. NTPF authorisations are made in respect of the longest waiting patients first. Under Action Plan 2018 and as a result of offers for treatment by the NTPF, almost 1,100 patients had accepted an offer for treatment for a hip/knee replacement as at the end of September.
Budget 2019 announced that the Government had further increased investment in tackling waiting lists, with funding to the National Treatment Purchase fund (NTPF) increasing from €55 million in 2018 to €75 million next year. As a result, the number of patients waiting for a hospital procedure is projected to fall to below 59,000 by the end of 2019.
I have asked the HSE and NTPF to work together to develop sustainable solutions to improve timely access for patients to treatment and my Department expects to finalise an Access Plan, before the end of this year, which will set out the combined impact of HSE and NTPF activity for 2019.
Under this Plan, I would expect that the number of orthopaedic procedures to be funded in 2019 will be similar to 2018 levels. The NTPF will work with the HSE and individual hospitals inviting proposals from both private and public hospitals and will provide funding to the solutions proposed if appropriate.
