Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 February 2019
385. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 168 to 170, inclusive, of 16 January 2019, the number of persons who have undergone cataract surgery in each of the years 2016 to 2018; and the cost of surgery in each of these years. [5299/19]
View answerI am conscious that waiting times are often unacceptably long and of the burden that this places on patients and their families. In this regard, I am committed to improving waiting times for hospital appointments and procedures.
Last year, under the Inpatient / Day Case Action Plan for 2018, I sought real progress to drive down waiting lists not only for high volume procedures, but also to treat patients with life-limiting conditions such as cataracts. The waiting list figures published by the NTPF for the end of December 2018 show that the efforts of the HSE, the NTPF and individual Hospitals are delivering results. The total number of Inpatient/Daycase patients waiting for a cataract procedure fell from just over 10,000 in July 2017 to 6,440 by the end of 2018, a reduction of 36%. The numbers waiting more than 3 months for cataract surgery showed a reduction of almost 55% in the same period, falling from 7,967 to 3,607, while those waiting more than 9 months fell from 4,371 to 554, a reduction of 87%.
It should be pointed out that the figures provided in PQs 168-170 of January 2019 in relation to the numbers of persons that have undergone cataract surgery from 2016 to 2018 and the cost of this surgery, refer to NTPF data only. The HSE figures were not included due to an administrative error. Accordingly a table setting out HSE and NTPF figures is provided below with the following exceptions: Both the HSE and the NTPF have advised that 2018 data is still being finalised; The NTPF did not have a direct role in the commissioning of patient treatments in 2016. At that time, the procurement of treatments was carried out by the HSE and the role of the NTPF was in the administration of the payments to hospitals. The NTPF advises it can only provide total costs for ophthalmology, which include cataracts, as costs for cataracts are deemed commercially sensitive.
|
HSE |
Cataract cases |
Cost € |
|
2016 |
11,291 |
25,933,653 |
|
2017 |
12,520 |
24,169,252 |
|
2018 |
HSE data not yet finalised |
HSE data not yet finalised |
|
NTPF |
Cataract cases |
Ophthalmology (including cataracts) Cost € |
|
2017 |
2,983 |
5, 700,000 |
|
2018 |
6,764 |
NTPF Annual Financial Statements not yet Finalised |
