I propose to take Questions Nos. 863 to 871, inclusive, together.
The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) currently collects and collates information in respect of the Inpatient, Day Case, Planned Procedure and Outpatient Waiting Lists.
Patients waiting for an appointment date for their treatment are categorised as 'Active', while patients suspended because they are temporarily unfit or unable to attend due to clinical or personal/social reasons are categorised as 'Suspension'. The Suspension category is also used where patients are being processed through various NTPF funded Insourcing or Outsourcing Initiatives.
The Planned Procedure list comprises those patients who have had treatment and require additional treatment at a future date (e.g. a patient who has had a scope may require surveillance monitoring scopes in the future). Patients on the Planned Procedure list are assigned indicative dates for treatment. These indicative dates are determined by the clinician and treatment before these dates would not be appropriate.
The Outpatient Waiting List includes patients with a scheduled appointment date for their consultation, and those awaiting an appointment date.
In relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy, the NTPF has provided the information requested in the tables attached. The NTPF has further advised that within the Public Health System, children are generally classified as those under the age of 16, while the figures in the attached tables also include patients between 16 and 18 years of age, to reflect patients who were under 18 on the 26th March 2020 according to the Date of Birth received from the relevant hospital.
Waiting Lists