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Hospital Procedures

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 January 2019

Thursday, 17 January 2019

Questions (152)

Michael Harty

Question:

152. Deputy Michael Harty asked the Minister for Health the services he plans to put in place to address the issue of bariatric surgery here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2124/19]

View answer

Written answers

Improving waiting times for hospital procedures is a key commitment in the Programme for Government.

The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) advises that on foot of a proposal submitted by Ireland East Hospital Group (IEHG) in 2018, funding was provided for extra theatre sessions in order to open additional surgical capacity to accommodate 50 surgeries which were undertaken primarily in St. Vincent’s Hospital. 38 of these patients were treated by the end of 2018, with a further 7 to be treated by the end of January 2019 and the NTPF has approved the rolling over of the 5 remaining procedures to 2019.

The 2019 Scheduled Care Access Plan is currently being finalised by my Department and will set out HSE activity levels to reduce waiting lists across specialties and improve access. The Access Plan will also set out activity levels for the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) who, following an increase in funding in Budget 2019 to €75 million, will supply additionality to HSE activity by arranging both insourced and outsourced appointments and treatments to reduce waiting times experienced by patients.

The Access Plan is being developed to ensure an appropriate balance between high volume activities and offering treatment to complex long waiting patients. 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. In this context, the NTPF advises that a proposal to fund a further 100 cases in 2019 has recently been received from IEHG.

In addition, the HSE advised my Department in late November 2018 that they had raised the issue of bariatric waiting times with both Saolta and Ireland East Hospital Groups. Saolta has confirmed that for Galway University Hospital (GUH) the provision of treatment for obesity is one of the key priorities for the hospital and Perioperative Directorate. It is acknowledged that GUH continue to be challenged in relation to theatre and bed capacity and in this context they have prioritized efforts to recruit additional staff including nursing staff and a senior dietician.

The HSE further advise that Galway University Hospital currently has two initiatives running with a focus on improving access to Obesity clinics. GUH has almost doubled the number of patients that received surgical treatment year on year as outlined in the table:

Time Frame

2017

To end October 2018

Number of Patients

16 bariatric surgeries

26 bariatric surgeries

Within the context of Ireland East Hospital Group (IEHG), the HSE advises that the weight management programme is delivered by St. Columcille’s Hospital (SCH) and St. Vincent’s University Hospital (SVUH). The medical multi-disciplinary weight management component of the programme is delivered in St. Columcille’s Hospital, whilst patients deemed suitable for surgery are referred to the surgical component of the programme in SVUH.

The patient pathway is such that all patients are initially referred to a Multi-Disciplinary Weight Management programme in SCH. Participants in the programme undergo a nine-month out-patient based multidisciplinary behavioural programme with input from dieticians, physio therapists and psychologists. Midway through the programme participants are assessed by the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) for suitability for surgery.

Since 2015 funding of €300,000 has been allocated to SVUH to support the provision of bariatric surgery enabling on average 30 bariatric surgeries to be undertaken per annum. IEHG has prioritised improving access for patients waiting for bariatric surgery.

A new bariatric surgeon, with a formal commitment to bariatric surgery, was appointment to St. Vincent’s University Hospital and to St. Columcille’s Hospital by the Ireland East Hospital Group in August 2017. This is the only Consultant Surgeon appointment in Ireland with a specialist focus on bariatric surgery.

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