Written Answers Nos. 143-167
143. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the further steps he and An Garda Síochána are taking to urgently end the recent appalling spate of gun violence and murder in several parishes of Dublin city (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24526/19]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, Gardaí have put specific operations in place to deal with the serious incidents that have occurred in Dublin recently, and they are continuing to work directly with communities to keep our citizens safe. This approach includes a strong focus on quality of life issues and collaboration with local authorities, Joint Policing Committees (JPCs) and Local Drug Task Forces.
In addition, I am advised that local Garda patrols are being supplemented by Armed Support Units and there is ongoing liaison and support being provided by relevant sections within other specialist Divisions of An Garda Síochána.
The Deputy will also be aware that I was invited by Ministers Bruton, McGrath and Senator Noone to meet with community groups in the Dublin 13 and 17 areas recently, under the umbrella of the Northside Partnership.
The meeting involved representatives of various community initiatives in the Coolock, Darndale and Clongriffin areas, local school principals, Gardaí and local residents. I had the benefit of hearing the concerns and suggestions put forward by locals, covering issues such as education, employment and sport, and an undertaking was given that the Government will give them further consideration.
I also took the opportunity to outline the whole of Government approach which is being taken to policing and community safety under the implementation plan for the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland report overseen by the Department of An Taoiseach.
We also met with senior members from An Garda Síochána and my Department officials at Coolock Garda Station. At the meeting, Gardaí briefed me on progress made in the various investigations and also set out actions they had already taken to enhance relationships with the community in the area. I am advised that a high level meeting also took place between the senior Garda managers responsible for community safety, intelligence and drugs and organised crime in order to manage the co-ordinated response to the recent killings, and I understand this group will continue to meet.
It is also the case that An Taoiseach met with Members of An Garda Síochána in Blanchardstown Garda Station on 6 June to discuss their response to recent serious incidents in the area.
I can assure the Deputy that An Garda Síochána will relentlessly pursue criminals that threaten thesafety of our communities, and the full force of the law will be brought to bear on those behind this violence and related gangland activities. The Government, for its part, will continue to invest unprecedented levels of resources in An Garda Síochána to help them achieve this objective and fight all forms of criminality in the State.
144. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason a burial of a person (details supplied) took place before the person's friends were informed or were present; his plans to review the case; his further plans to prevent a recurrence of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24541/19]
View answerMy Department was made aware of the circumstances surrounding the death and burial of the person concerned. I want to express my deepest sympathies and condolences to that person's friends and colleagues on their loss.
It is a matter of profound regret to me, and to the Department, that her friends heard of her burial after the event. This must have been deeply distressing to all involved.
Where a person dies while they are being provided with accommodation by the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department, RIA works closely with the centre manager to assist the family in accessing the supports by the State, and to ensure that any residents affected by the death are assisted in accessing services that can support them. All deaths and serious incidents that occur within accommodation centres provided by the Department are referred to the Gardaí as a matter of course and the Gardaí in turn refer all deaths to the local Coroner's office.
I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that the death was investigated by An Garda Síochána in Galway as a sudden death. Significant enquiries were conducted by An Garda Síochána, via Interpol, in an effort to notify the deceased's next of kin. Following a thorough investigation, Gardaí were satisfied that there was nothing suspicious into this death. The County Coroner authorised the release of the remains for burial.
It is clear that there was a breakdown in communication in this particular case, which we very much regret. In an effort to better understand the communications between all parties concerned, a senior official from the Department spoke to the Coroner on 7 June last. The Coroner noted the efforts that had been made to identify the deceased’s next of kin. The Coroner stated that the normal practice where someone is interested in the outcome of a coroner’s consideration of whether an inquest will be held into the death of a person is necessary or when a person’s remains are to be released for burial, is that a letter would be on file. In this case a formal request in writing was not recorded on the file and therefore the Coroner arranged for the appropriate and dignified burial of the deceased, through the relevant State agencies, as is the standard practice where next of kin have not been identified, despite efforts to do so.
While thankfully, the occurrences of deaths where the deceased remains unidentified, unclaimed or no next of kin is identified, are very rare, the Department will take appropriate action to ensure that formal requests are made in future so that friends and groups, who have expressed an interest, are properly informed through appropriate communications with the coronial service and by liaising with other agencies involved in this case.
The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) supported the organisation of a memorial for the person concerned, which was held shortly after her passing and was attended by her friends, centre management and members of staff from RIA. My colleague, Minister Stanton has written to her friends with the offer of assistance to organise an appropriate commemoration following her burial.
145. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if his attention has been drawn to the number of gun silencers sold here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24542/19]
View answer146. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the licensing requirements for gun silencers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24543/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 145 and 146 together.
I wish to advise the Deputy that I have requested a report on the matter from the Garda Commissioner and I will write further to the Deputy once this report has been received.
147. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Health the position regarding an assessment of needs for a child (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24355/19]
View answerThe Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is guided by two principles: equality of opportunity and improving the quality of life for people with disabilities.
As the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
148. Deputy Stephen Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the waiting lists for gynaecologists per speciality and hospital nationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24364/19]
View answerReducing waiting time for patients for hospital operations and procedures is a key priority for Government. Budget 2019 announced that the Government has 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 in 2019.
The joint Department of Health/HSE/NTPF Scheduled Care Access Plan 2019 was published in March and sets out measures to improve care for patients waiting for scheduled care in 2019 by reducing waiting times for inpatient/day case treatment and outpatient appointments. The plan will place a strong focus on a number of high-volume procedures. When combined with HSE activity, it is projected that the NTPF will be in a position to offer treatment to all clinically suitable patients waiting more than 6 months for one of these high-volume procedures.
A key element of the Plan is the stabilisation of the Outpatient Waiting List. Under the Plan the HSE, in line with the National Service Plan, will aim to deliver 3.3 million outpatient appointments, of which approximately 1 million will be first appointments. Under the plan the NTPF will use €6 million to deliver 40,000 first Outpatient appointments.
The plan includes a target that the number of patients waiting for a first Outpatient appointment will fall from over 516,000 at the end of 2018 to under 509,000 by the end of 2019. This target takes into account the more than 800,000 new patients who will be added to the Outpatient waiting list in 2019; a figure that is based on trends for the previous two years.
While the meeting of short-term targets is always welcome, more can be achieved and, in this regard, the HSE, Department of Health and NTPF, under the Access Plan, will work together with the objective of developing medium-long term improvement initiatives for patient access to hospital procedures. This will include moving care to more appropriate settings and providing care at the lowest level of complexity such as providing ophthalmology in the community; maximising the use of Advanced Nurse Practitioner led clinics; and physiotherapists to manage orthopaedic clinics.
The data requested by the Deputy is outlined in the document attached. It should be noted, as advised by the NTPF, that the Dublin Maternity Hospitals (Holles Street, the Coombe, and the Rotunda) do not submit full waiting list data to the NTPF. The Coombe and the Rotunda only submit Outpatient data, while Holles Street does not submit any data.
The data requested by the Deputy is outlined in the document at the link.
149. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the plans by the South/Southwest Hospital Group to advance orthopaedic services in the south east and at University Hospital Waterford; his plans to create a centre of excellence for orthopaedics at the hospital; if a business case to advance same has been submitted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24366/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly as soon as possible.
150. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the timeframe, costs and additional capacity in building a new mortuary at University Hospital Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24367/19]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
151. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the timeframe, costs and the services to be provided in the additional catheterisation laboratory for University Hospital Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24368/19]
View answerThe Herity Report recommended that the hours of operation of the existing cath lab at Waterford University Hospital be extended to meet the needs of the catchment population. A mobile cath lab has been deployed at University Hospital Waterford (UHW) since October 2017 to conduct diagnostic cardiac procedures pending the extension of hours of operation of the existing cath lab.
As the Deputy is aware I have agreed to the provision of a second cath lab in Waterford University Hospital. The HSE was requested to consider the cost of progressing the project to design, planning and construction stages in the context of their 2019 Capital Plan.
The HSE has advised that the project has now been included in their Capital Programme 2019 and has been granted a capital allocation of €0.15m to appoint the design team and to progress the design of the project in 2019. They have also advised that it is expected that the Planning Permission application will be lodged by the end of this year.
A National Review of Specialised Cardiac Services is underway. The aim of the National Review of Specialised Cardiac Services is to achieve optimal patient outcomes at population level with particular emphasis on the safety, quality and sustainability of the services that patients receive through establishing the requirements for an appropriate configuration of specialist cardiac services throughout Ireland.
Work is currently progressing on the National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services. This year to date the Steering Group has met on 25 January, 11 March and 29 April with its fourth meeting scheduled for 14 June 2019. Data collection and data analysis is continuing and site visits to Primary PCI centres across all Hospital Groups are almost complete with the final site visit scheduled to take place in early July 2019.
It is now anticipated that the Steering Group will continue to meet over the course of the summer to ensure that the drafting and finalisation of the report can be completed as quickly as possible.
152. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the reason robotics are not being utilised at University Hospital Waterford for cancer care; his plans to purchase robotic equipment for the oncology unit at the hospital; if this is supported by the South/Southwest Hospital Group; if a business case for the purchase or lease of robotic equipment has been made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24369/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly as soon as possible.
153. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health his plans to build a new eye clinic at University Hospital Waterford; if a business case has been made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24370/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly as soon as possible.
154. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of the 72 beds at the Dunmore wing at University Hospital Waterford that will be new and additional beds; the funding being made available to recruit new staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24371/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly as soon as possible.
155. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health when he expects the national review of cardiac services to conclude and to publish its report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24372/19]
View answerThe aim of the National Review of Specialised Cardiac Services is to achieve optimal patient outcomes at population level with particular emphasis on the safety, quality and sustainability of the services that patients receive through establishing the requirements for an appropriate configuration of specialist cardiac services throughout Ireland.
Work is currently progressing on the National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services. This year to date the Steering Group has met on 25 January, 11 March and 29 April with its fourth meeting scheduled for 14 June 2019. Data collection and data analysis is continuing and site visits to Primary PCI centres across all Hospital Groups are almost complete with the final site visit scheduled to take place in early July 2019.
It is now anticipated that the Steering Group will continue to meet over the course of the summer to ensure that the drafting and finalisation of the report can be completed as quickly as possible.
156. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if he is committed to delivering 24/7 PPCI at University Hospital Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24373/19]
View answerThe Herity Report recommended that the hours of operation of the existing cath lab at Waterford University Hospital be extended to meet the needs of the catchment population. A mobile cath lab has been deployed at University Hospital Waterford (UHW) since October 2017 to conduct diagnostic cardiac procedures pending the extension of hours of operation of the existing cath lab.
As the Deputy is aware I have agreed to the provision of a second cath lab in Waterford University Hospital. The HSE was requested to consider the cost of progressing the project to design, planning and construction stages in the context of their 2019 Capital Plan.
The HSE has advised that the project has now been included in their Capital Programme 2019 and has been granted a capital allocation of €0.15m to appoint the design team and to progress the design of the project in 2019. They have also advised that it is expected that the Planning Permission application will be lodged by the end of this year.
A National Review of Specialised Cardiac Services is underway. The aim of the National Review of Specialised Cardiac Services is to achieve optimal patient outcomes at population level with particular emphasis on the safety, quality and sustainability of the services that patients receive through establishing the requirements for an appropriate configuration of specialist cardiac services throughout Ireland.
Work is currently progressing on the National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services. This year to date the Steering Group has met on 25 January, 11 March and 29 April with its fourth meeting scheduled for 14 June 2019. Data collection and data analysis is continuing and site visits to Primary PCI centres across all Hospital Groups are almost complete with the final site visit scheduled to take place in early July 2019.
It is now anticipated that the Steering Group will continue to meet over the course of the summer to ensure that the drafting and finalisation of the report can be completed as quickly as possible.
157. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the details of all inpatient and outpatient wait times in each of the years from 2015 to 2018 and to date in 2019, by speciality in tabular form; the wait times in periods (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24374/19]
View answerReducing waiting time for patients for hospital operations and procedures is a key priority for Government. Last year saw considerable improvement in the number of patients waiting for procedures. As a result of increased activity and the ongoing collaboration between the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), the number of patients waiting for an Inpatient or Day case procedure fell to 70,204 in December 2018, from a peak of 86,100 in July 2017. This represents a reduction of over 18% in the overall number of patients waiting for a procedure. The number of patients waiting more than 3 months fell by more than 17,700, or 31% in the same period from July 2017 to the end of December 2018.
The impact is particularly notable when one considers the improvements to the Waiting Lists for those particular specialties which were the focus of the Inpatient/Daycase Action Plan in 2018. These include the numbers waiting over 3 months for a Cataract procedure which fell by 55% from July 2017 to the end of December 2018; the numbers waiting 3 months for a tonsillectomy fell by 65% in the same period; and angiograms fell by 50%.
Budget 2019 announced that the Government had further increased investment in tackling waiting lists, with funding to the NTPF increasing from €55 million in 2018 to €75 million in 2019. The joint Department of Health, HSE, and NTPF Scheduled Care Access Plan 2019 was published on 11th March.
Under the Plan the HSE, in line with the National Service Plan, will deliver 1.155 million elective inpatient and day case discharges at a value of €1.4 billion in 2019. The Scheduled Care Access Plan includes:
- detailed plans from the NTPF to fund 25,000 IPDC treatments; 5,000 Gastro Intestinal Scopes and 40,000 first outpatient appointments.
- Projections by year end to reduce the overall number of patients on the Inpatient/Day Case waiting list (excluding GI scopes) from just over 70,200 in Dec 2018 to under 60,000;
- Within this overall reduction the number of patients waiting longer than 3 months will reduce from 40,200 at the end of 2018 to 31,000;
- It is also projected that for ten identified high volume procedures, including tonsillectomies, all clinically suitable patients waiting more than 6 months will be offered treatment in 2019. These 10 procedures account for over a third of the active inpatient day case waiting list and represent 60% of NTPF planned activity in 2019.
A key element of the Scheduled Access Plan is the stabilisation of the Outpatient Waiting List. Under the Plan the HSE, in line with the National Service Plan, will aim to deliver 3.3 million outpatient appointments, of which approximately 1 million will be first appointments.
The plan also includes a target that the number of patients waiting for a first Outpatient appointment will fall from over 516,000 at the end of 2018 to under 509,000 by the end of 2019. This target takes into account the more than 800,000 new patients who will be added to the Outpatient waiting list in 2019; a figure that is based on trends for the previous two years.
While the meeting of short-term targets is always welcome, more can be achieved and, in this regard, the HSE, Department of Health and NTPF, under the Access Plan, will work together with the objective of developing medium-long term improvement initiatives for patient access to hospital procedures. This will include moving care to more appropriate settings and providing care at the lowest level of complexity such as providing ophthalmology in the community; maximising the use of Advanced Nurse Practitioner led clinics; and physiotherapists to manage orthopaedic clinics.
158. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the details of the cost-cutting plans by University Hospital Waterford to ensure the hospital comes in on budget; if this will involve curtailing theatre use at the hospital; the cost saving measures being introduced in respect of cleaning, recruitment and the use of agency staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24375/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly as soon as possible.
159. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of assaults recorded against psychiatric nurses to date in 2019, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24380/19]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
160. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of respite care sessions provided in 2018 compared to 2019, by CHO and LHO in tabular form. [24381/19]
View answerThe Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is guided by two principles: equality of opportunity and improving the quality of life for people with disabilities.
As the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy
161. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of times a full capacity protocol was invoked to date in 2019, by hospital in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24382/19]
View answerThe HSE National Escalation Framework consists of a tiered and incremental suite of actions to be adapted and implemented in hospitals with an ED during times when such hospitals are challenged in matching capacity and demand for acute inpatient care.
The full capacity protocol is the last escalation step in the HSE National Escalation Framework and is activated to alleviate pressure on the Emergency Department.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
162. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the emergency department waiting times greater than 24 hours for persons over 75 years of age to date in 2019; if the targets were met; if not, the number of persons over 75 years of age who had a wait of more than 24 hours in an emergency department to date in 2019, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24383/19]
View answerI wish to acknowledge the distress overcrowded Emergency Departments cause to patients, their families, and frontline staff working in very challenging working conditions in hospitals throughout the country.
The hospital system is currently operating at close to full capacity. The number of patients attending Emergency Departments continues to increase year on year, with approximately 1.3 million attendances in 2018, up 3.5% on 2017. For the first four months of 2019, the number of patients attending hospital EDs increased by 6.5%, and the number of ED admissions increased by 4.4% compared to the same period last year. This reflects increasing demand for unscheduled care, especially by patients in the 75 years and over age group.
However, the National Service Plan 2019 includes an expected activity target that 99% of patients aged 75 and over attending at an Emergency Department are discharged or admitted within 24 hours. Therefore, any breach of this target in respect of patients in this age cohort is unacceptable.
With regard to the specific question the Deputy has asked, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly.
163. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of assaults recorded against front line staff including nurses, doctors, social workers, ambulance staff and other health professionals to date in 2019, by hospital, geographic location and profession in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24384/19]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
164. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of cataract surgeries cancelled nationally by hospital in each of the years 2016 to 2018 and to date in 2019, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24385/19]
View answerMaintaining scheduled care access for all patients is a key priority for hospitals. I fully acknowledge the distress and inconvenience for patients and their families when elective procedures are cancelled, particularly for clinically urgent procedures.
While every effort is made to avoid cancellation or postponement of planned procedures, the HSE advise that planned procedures and operations can be postponed or cancelled for a variety of reasons including capacity issues due to increased scheduled and unscheduled care demand, medical reasons, and patient choice.
In relation to the specific question raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to reply to the Deputy directly.
165. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of ENT surgeries cancelled for children nationally by hospital in each of the years 2016 to 2018 and to date in 2019, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24386/19]
View answerMaintaining scheduled care access for all patients is a key priority for hospitals. I fully acknowledge the distress and inconvenience for patients and their families when elective procedures are cancelled, particularly for clinically urgent procedures.
While every effort is made to avoid cancellation or postponement of planned procedures, the HSE advise that planned procedures and operations can be postponed or cancelled for a variety of reasons including capacity issues due to increased scheduled and unscheduled care demand, medical reasons, and patient choice.
In relation to the specific question raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to reply to the Deputy directly.
166. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of children on ENT surgery waiting lists nationally, by hospital, in each of the years from 2016 to 2018 and to date in 2019, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24387/19]
View answerBudget 2019 announced that the Government had further increased investment in tackling waiting lists, with funding to the NTPF increasing from €55 million in 2018 to €75 million in 2019. The joint Department of Health, HSE, and NTPF Scheduled Care Access Plan 2019 was published on 11th March.
Under the Plan the HSE, in line with the National Service Plan, will deliver 1.155 million elective inpatient and day case discharges at a value of €1.4 billion in 2019. The Scheduled Care Access Plan includes:
- detailed plans from the NTPF to fund 25,000 IPDC treatments; 5,000 Gastro Intestinal Scopes and 40,000 outpatient first appointments.
- Projections by year end to reduce the overall number of patients on the waiting list (excluding GI scopes) from just over 70,200 in Dec 2018 to under 60,000;
- Within this overall reduction the number of patients waiting longer than 3 months will reduce from 40,200 at the end of 2018 to 31,000;
- It is also projected that for ten identified high volume procedures, including tonsillectomies, all clinically suitable patients waiting more than 6 months will be offered treatment in 2019. These 10 procedures account for over a third of the active inpatient day case waiting list and represent 60% of NTPF planned activity in 2019.
In relation to the particular matter raised by the Deputy, the table provides the Inpatient and Day Case waiting list figures for children awaiting ENT surgery by hospital for the years 2016, 2017, 2018 and to the end of April 2019.
|
Hospital |
30/12/2016 |
29/12/2017 |
20/12/2018 |
25/04/2019 |
|
Beaumont Hospital |
167 |
88 |
70 |
84 |
|
Cavan General Hospital |
75 |
54 |
109 |
76 |
|
CHI at Crumlin |
272 |
192 |
166 |
|
|
CHI at Temple St |
165 |
89 |
74 |
|
|
Galway University Hospitals |
218 |
197 |
128 |
111 |
|
Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore |
396 |
217 |
104 |
45 |
|
Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda |
88 |
43 |
9 |
20 |
|
Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital |
67 |
37 |
35 |
20 |
|
Sligo University Hospital |
425 |
385 |
218 |
177 |
|
South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital |
95 |
132 |
52 |
57 |
|
Tallaght University Hospital |
1 |
|||
|
University Hospital Kerry |
3 |
3 |
9 |
5 |
|
University Hospital Limerick |
222 |
213 |
87 |
134 |
|
University Hospital Waterford |
261 |
200 |
108 |
118 |
|
Grand Total |
2454 |
1851 |
1169 |
847 |
167. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the length of time persons have been on the waiting list for cataract surgery nationally by hospital; the length of time they have been waiting by month in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24388/19]
View answerBudget 2019 announced that the Government had further increased investment in tackling waiting lists, with funding to the NTPF increasing from €55 million in 2018 to €75 million in 2019. The joint Department of Health, HSE, and NTPF Scheduled Care Access Plan 2019 was published on 11th March.
Under the Plan the HSE, in line with the National Service Plan, will deliver 1.155 million elective inpatient and day case discharges at a value of €1.4 billion in 2019. The Scheduled Care Access Plan includes:
- detailed plans from the NTPF to fund 25,000 IPDC treatments, 5,000 Gastro Intestinal Scopes and 40,000 outpatient first appointments.
- It is also projected that for ten identified high volume procedures, including cataracts, all clinically suitable patients waiting more than 6 months will be offered treatment in 2019. These 10 procedures account for over a third of the active inpatient day case waiting list and represent 60% of NTPF planned activity in 2019.
At the end of July 2017, the number of people waiting for a cataract procedure was 10,024. Under the Inpatient Day Case Access Plan 2018, Cataracts were one of the specialties targeted by the NTPF and by end December 2018, the number of patients waiting had fallen to 6,440, a reduction of 36%. The number of patients waiting for a Cataract procedure at the end of April 2019 had further reduced to 6,151, with 582 patients waiting over 9 months. This represents a reduction of 3,789 or 87% when compared to July 2017, when there were 4,371 patients waiting over 9 months for a cataract operation.
Under the 2019 Scheduled Care Access Plan, all clinically suitable patients waiting longer than 6 months for a cataract procedure will be offered treatment funded by the NTPF.
In relation to the specific matter raised by the Deputy, the table provides a breakdown of the number of people awaiting cataract surgery by time band nationally by hospital.
Waiting List for Cataract Procedures by Hospital by Wait Time Band as at 25/04/2019
|
0-3 Mths |
3-6 Mths |
6-9 Mths |
9-12 Mths |
12-15 Mths |
15-18 Mths |
18+ Mths |
Grand Total |
|
|
Mater Misericordiae University Hospital |
493 |
468 |
319 |
42 |
8 |
10 |
15 |
1355 |
|
University Hospital Waterford |
333 |
329 |
341 |
122 |
33 |
12 |
32 |
1202 |
|
Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital |
523 |
265 |
89 |
43 |
10 |
6 |
8 |
944 |
|
Galway University Hospitals |
309 |
274 |
118 |
18 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
724 |
|
Sligo University Hospital |
192 |
201 |
139 |
25 |
32 |
7 |
19 |
615 |
|
South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital |
195 |
162 |
128 |
27 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
518 |
|
St. Vincent's University Hospital |
135 |
81 |
56 |
10 |
282 |
|||
|
University Hospital Limerick |
162 |
44 |
18 |
15 |
10 |
11 |
14 |
274 |
|
Nenagh Hospital |
46 |
86 |
33 |
18 |
7 |
3 |
5 |
198 |
|
Letterkenny University Hospital |
10 |
15 |
2 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
34 |
|
|
CHI at Temple St |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
|||
|
Grand Total |
2400 |
1925 |
1244 |
326 |
107 |
51 |
98 |
6151 |
