Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 September 2023
278. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if the National Treatment Purchase Fund is on track to deliver the targeted level of procedures, scopes, diagnostic tests and outpatient appointment during 2023, and whether target waiting times for arranging different interventions have been set. [41994/23]
View answerThe 2023 Waiting List Action Plan (WLAP) set ambitious targets for the National Treatment Purchase Fund for this year. As I advised the Deputy in PQ 40277/23 answered on the 21st of September, as of the 25th of August the NTPF had made offers of treatment to 39,160 patients on the IPDC waiting list, 19,388 on the GI Scope list and some 146,244 outpatient appointments had been approved. In addition, 55,874 vouchers for diagnostics (EDANS) had been utilised across hospital groups. Given this level of activity the NTPF is confident that it can meet its targets set in the WLAP.
The NTPF looks to source treatment or an appointment for all patients waiting more than 3 months subject to available public and private capacity. The WLAP identifies 20 specific high volume procedures, that at the end of 2022 accounted for more than 40% of the IPDC waiting list, with a commitment that anyone waiting 3 months or over who is clinically suitable will receive an offer of care from the NTPF. As at the end of August, 80% of patients waiting more than 3 months have either been removed from the waiting list or have received an authorisation for an offer of NTPF funded treatment.
