Written Answers Nos. 1959-1978
1959. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Health the waiting times for children with scoliosis, including the details for those with complex needs; the number waiting 0-4, 4-12 and over 12 months by hospital, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39331/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1960. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Health the waiting times for paediatric orthopaedic surgery, including the number waiting for fewer than 4, between 4 and 12 months and over 12 months by hospital, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39332/23]
View answerAdult and child waiting list information by hospital and specialty is published monthly and is available on the NTPF website at: www.ntpf.ie/home/nwld.htm.
1961. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Health the number of GMS-registered dentists, on a county basis, for the years 2015 to 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39333/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1962. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Health to provide a schedule of financial support for cancer patients on a CHO basis, including the amount available for wigs, underwear, etc.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39334/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1963. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Health for an update and timeline for the recruitment process to fill the position left by a person (details supplied); the contingency plan that will be put in place by the HSE if the position is not filled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39335/23]
View answerGPs are self-employed practitioners and therefore may establish practices at a place of their own choosing. There is no prescribed ratio of GPs to patients and the State does not regulate the number of GPs that can set up in a town or community.
Under the GMS scheme, the HSE contracts GPs to provide medical services without charge to medical card and GP visit card holders. Where a vacancy arises in a practice with a GMS contract, the HSE becomes actively involved in the recruitment process to find a replacement GP. In the interim the HSE puts in place a locum or other appropriate arrangement to maintain GP services to the communities in question.
As the issue of GMS vacancies is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly regarding the recruitment process to find a replacement GP in Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, as soon as possible
1964. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the issues regarding access to the MRI for patients in St. Vincent's Hospital, Dublin (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39336/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1965. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health his view on a report (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39355/23]
View answerI welcomed the recent Final Report of the Mental Health Commission (MHC) on Child and Adolescent Services (CAMHS) nationally. The 49 recommendations of this are currently being considered in detail by the Department of Health and the HSE, in conjunction with the more detailed reports by the Commission in respect of each CHO. The Commission's Interim Report was published in January last and acted on immediately. As the question raised by the Deputy relates to specific operational matters within an individual CHO, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1966. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health if he will comment on the significant level of vacancies within the UL Hospitals Group; what aggressive recruitment measures are taking place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39358/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1967. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting, as of 1 September 2023 or the nearest available date, for an MRI scan in the Ireland East Hospital Group for the following waiting periods, in tabular form: less than three months; three months to six months; six months to nine months; nine months to twelve months; and more than twelve months. [39362/23]
View answer1968. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting, as of 1 September 2023 or the nearest available date, for a CT scan in the Ireland East Hospital Group for the following waiting periods, in tabular form: less than three months; three months to six months; six months to nine months; nine months to twelve months; and more than twelve months. [39363/23]
View answer1969. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting, as of 1 September 2023 or the nearest available date, for a bone scan in the Ireland East Hospital Group for the following waiting periods, in tabular form: less than three months; three months to six months; six months to nine months; nine months to twelve months; and more than twelve months. [39364/23]
View answer1970. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting, as of 1 September 2023 or the nearest available date, for an angiogram in the Ireland East Hospital Group for the following waiting periods, in tabular form: less than three months; three months to six months; six months to nine months; nine months to twelve months; and more than twelve months. [39365/23]
View answer1971. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting, as of 1 September 2023 or the nearest available date, for an electroencephalogram in the Ireland East Hospital Group for the following waiting periods, in tabular form: less than three months; three months to six months; six months to nine months; nine months to twelve months; and more than twelve months. [39366/23]
View answer1972. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting, as of 1 September 2023 or the nearest available date, for cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in the Ireland East Hospital Group for the following waiting periods, in tabular form: less than three months; three months to six months; six months to nine months; nine months to twelve months; and more than twelve months. [39367/23]
View answer1973. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting, as of 1 September 2023 or the nearest available date, for an ultrasound scan in the Ireland East Hospital Group for the following waiting periods, in tabular form: less than three months; three months to six months; six months to nine months; nine months to twelve months; and more than twelve months. [39368/23]
View answer1974. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting, as of 1 September 2023 or the nearest available date, for an electrocardiogram (ECG) in the Ireland East Hospital Group for the following waiting periods, in tabular form: less than three months; three months to six months; six months to nine months; nine months to twelve months; and more than twelve months. [39369/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1967 to 1974, inclusive, together.
The HSE advises that a pilot project commenced in 2016 by the HSE Acute Hospitals Division to progress the collection of national radiology waiting list data. The project has been supported by the Radiology Clinical Care Programme and has involved key stakeholders across the system including the National Integrated Medical Imaging System (NIMIS) Team, Hospital Groups, and the support of the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) for data collection and data management expertise.
The information that is currently being collected is presently being tested and validated at hospital, hospital group and national level and as such should not be used/reported without the context of the caveats set out below:
• Data is subject to inclusions and exclusions which are documented in the Data Profile Document. This document is available from Acute Operations and has been circulated to all Hospital Groups.
• Data contains urgent, routine and surveillance/planned activity which is currently not broken down in detail, as such this includes surveillance/planned activity which may not be exceeding planned date.
• Data is still undergoing validation at Hospital and Hospital Group level.
• Data does not take into account local nuances at site level (Site profile developed to support understanding of same).
• The purpose of this aggregate data is to provide a National Level overview of the number of patients waiting for modalities of CT, MRI and Ultrasound.
• This report is not intended to be used for the active management of hospital diagnostics waiting list, local reports and mechanisms should continue to be used for the management of diagnostics waiting lists at hospital level.
In relation to the diagnostic waiting list information requested by the Deputy, the National Treatment Purchase Fund has provided the attached document which sets out waiting list data for Quarter 2 2023 for CT, MRI and Ultrasound. The HSE advises that, at present, further diagnostic scans (including electrocardiogram, cholangiopancreatography, electroencephalogram, angiogram, and bone scan), are not yet captured as part of this project.
In Q2 2023, there were a total of 260,380 patients reported on the waiting list from all sites, this represents all outpatients waiting, urgent, semi urgent, routine and planned/surveillance (where diagnostic access is planned at particular time intervals).
The Deputy may wish to note that the information currently captured as part of the pilot project is available in the single report attached. To ensure that Deputies have access to these quarterly diagnostic reports as soon as they are available, my Department will put an arrangement in place whereby the reports can be provided to Deputies once they have been received from the NTPF, and will contact the Deputy directly in this regard.
1975. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting, as of 1 September 2023 or the nearest available date, for an MRI scan in the RCSI Hospital Group for the following waiting periods, in tabular form: less than three months; three months to six months; six months to nine months; nine months to twelve months; and more than twelve months. [39370/23]
View answer1976. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting, as of 1 September 2023 or the nearest available date, for a CT scan in the RCSI Hospital Group for the following waiting periods, in tabular form: less than three months; three months to six months; six months to nine months; nine months to twelve months; and more than twelve months. [39371/23]
View answer1977. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting, as of 1 September 2023 or the nearest available date, for a bone scan in the RCSI Hospital Group for the following waiting periods, in tabular form: less than three months; three months to six months; six months to nine months; nine months to twelve months; and more than twelve months. [39372/23]
View answer1978. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting, as of 1 September 2023 or the nearest available date, for an angiogram in the RCSI Hospital Group for the following waiting periods, in tabular form: less than three months; three months to six months; six months to nine months; nine months to twelve months; and more than twelve months. [39373/23]
View answer1979. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting, as of 1 September 2023 or the nearest available date, for an electroencephalogram in the RCSI Hospital Group for the following waiting periods, in tabular form: less than three months; three months to six months; six months to nine months; nine months to twelve months; and more than twelve months. [39374/23]
View answer1980. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting, as of 1 September 2023 or the nearest available date, for cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in the RCSI Hospital Group for the following waiting periods, in tabular form: less than three months; three months to six months; six months to nine months; nine months to twelve months; and more than twelve months. [39375/23]
View answer1981. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting, as of 1 September 2023 or the nearest available date, for an ultrasound scan in the RCSI Hospital Group for the following waiting periods, in tabular form: less than three months; three months to six months; six months to nine months; nine months to twelve months; and more than twelve months. [39376/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1975 to 1981, inclusive, together.
The HSE advises that a pilot project commenced in 2016 by the HSE Acute Hospitals Division to progress the collection of national radiology waiting list data. The project has been supported by the Radiology Clinical Care Programme and has involved key stakeholders across the system including the National Integrated Medical Imaging System (NIMIS) Team, Hospital Groups, and the support of the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) for data collection and data management expertise.
The information that is currently being collected is presently being tested and validated at hospital, hospital group and national level and as such should not be used/reported without the context of the caveats set out below:
• Data is subject to inclusions and exclusions which are documented in the Data Profile Document. This document is available from Acute Operations and has been circulated to all Hospital Groups.
• Data contains urgent, routine and surveillance/planned activity which is currently not broken down in detail, as such this includes surveillance/planned activity which may not be exceeding planned date.
• Data is still undergoing validation at Hospital and Hospital Group level.
• Data does not take into account local nuances at site level (Site profile developed to support understanding of same).
• The purpose of this aggregate data is to provide a National Level overview of the number of patients waiting for modalities of CT, MRI and Ultrasound.
• This report is not intended to be used for the active management of hospital diagnostics waiting list, local reports and mechanisms should continue to be used for the management of diagnostics waiting lists at hospital level.
In relation to the diagnostic waiting list information requested by the Deputy, the National Treatment Purchase Fund has provided the attached document which sets out waiting list data for Quarter 2 2023 for CT, MRI and Ultrasound. The HSE advises that, at present, further diagnostic scans (including electrocardiogram, cholangiopancreatography, electroencephalogram, angiogram, and bone scan), are not yet captured as part of this project.
In Q2 2023, there were a total of 260,380 patients reported on the waiting list from all sites, this represents all outpatients waiting, urgent, semi urgent, routine and planned/surveillance (where diagnostic access is planned at particular time intervals).
The Deputy may wish to note that the information currently captured as part of the pilot project is available in the single report attached. To ensure that Deputies have access to these quarterly diagnostic reports as soon as they are available, my Department will put an arrangement in place whereby the reports can be provided to Deputies once they have been received from the NTPF, and will contact the Deputy directly in this regard.
