Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 February 2022
117. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health the way he plans to tackle the long waiting lists for children to receive operations; and the way his Department plans to improve the management of waiting lists for children for operations going forward. [6766/22]
View answerIt is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. While significant work continues to positively impact on waiting times and improve pathways to elective care, acute hospitals have been impacted by operational challenges arising from surges in cases related to the Delta and Omicron variants.
The HSE has confirmed to the Department that patient safety remains at the centre of all hospital activity and elective care scheduling. To ensure services are provided in a safe, clinically-aligned and prioritised way, hospitals are following HSE clinical guidelines and protocols.
It is of particular regret that children can experience long waiting times for treatment especially for time sensitive procedures. As Minister for Health, I am acutely aware of the impact this has on children and their families. Reducing paediatric waiting times remains a Ministerial priority and will be addressed as a key priority area in the 2022 Waiting List Action Plan. Officials in the Department of Health remain in regular contact with Children’s Health Ireland in relation to developing plans to reduce waiting times, improve activity levels, and associated service planning.
The Department of Health continues to work with the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) to identify ways to improve access to care, including through increased use of private hospitals, funding weekend and evening work in public hospitals, funding “see and treat” services, providing virtual clinics, and increasing capacity in the public hospital system.
In addition, the Department of Health, the HSE and the NTPF are also working on a Multi Annual Waiting List Plan to bring waiting lists in line with Sláintecare targets over the coming years. This process will be overseen by a Ministerial Taskforce, chaired by the Secretary General of the Department of Health and includes representatives from the HSE and National Treatment Purchase Fund.
For 2022 an additional allocation of €250 million, comprised of €200 million to the HSE and €50 million to the National Treatment Purchase Fund has been provided in respect of work to reduce hospital and community waiting lists. The €250 million will be used to fund additional activity in both the public and private sectors. The €50 million additional funding provided to the NTPF brings its total allocation for 2022 to €150 million, and as a consequence there will be a budget of €350 million available to support vital initiatives to improve access to acute hospitals and community health services.
