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Hospital Appointments Delays

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 October 2019

Thursday, 10 October 2019

Questions (69)

John Lahart

Question:

69. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the plans in place to reduce waiting times for an outpatient appointment in Tallaght hospital in which the numbers waiting over a year have seen a more than four-fold increase since the end of 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41214/19]

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Written answers

I am conscious that waiting times are often unacceptably long and of the burden that this places on patients and their families. In this regard, the Government is committed to improving waiting times for hospital appointments and procedures.  

Waiting list figures for the end of September, due to be published by the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) later this week, show that there are 32,955 people waiting for an outpatient appointment at Tallaght Hospital.  Of those waiting, 37% receive their appointment in 6 months or less and 57% are waiting 12 months or less. Urology, ENT, dermatology and gynaecology account for over 67% of the patients waiting over 12 months for an outpatient appointment at Tallaght Hospital.

More broadly, the NTPF advise that over recent months they have placed a particular focus on engaging with hospital groups and individual hospitals to identify outpatient waiting list proposals. In addition, my Department has established a Working Group comprised of representatives from the HSE, NTPF, and Departmental officials, to examine ways of improving access for patients waiting for scheduled care. Part of this work includes developing initiatives which will move care to the most appropriate setting, and at the lowest level of complexity. Urology, ENT, dermatology, and gynaecology are some of the specialties being examined as part of this process.

Budget 2020 announced that the Government has further increased investment in tackling waiting lists, with funding to the NTPF increasing from €75 million in 2019 to €100 million in 2020. The year-on-year increases to the National Treatment Purchase Fund since Budget 2017 reflect this Government’s priority to improve waiting times for patients to access hospital treatment.

 My Department is working with the HSE and NTPF to develop the Scheduled Care Access Plan 2020. In this regard, the HSE National Service Plan 2020 will set out a planned activity level for the year ahead, while the NTPF will work with the hospital system to provide additionality to reduce inpatient/day case waiting lists, with a particular focus on improving access to hospital outpatient services. In 2020, the Department will also be asking the HSE and NTPF to work together with the Sláintecare Implementation Office with the aim of driving sustainable improvements to service provision.

In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.

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