Charles Flanagan
Ceist:5 Mr. Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if he intends publishing the 1992 waiting lists for hospital treatment; and the proposals, if any, he has to reduce such lists in 1993.
Ceisteanna — Questions Oral Answers. - Hospital Waiting Lists.
Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:156 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the extent to which he expects waiting lists to be reduced with particular reference to hip operations and cataracts; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 and 156 together.
It is my intention to publish 1992 waiting lists figures as soon as possible. These figures are being collected and collated at present. The Deputy will be aware that the Government has allocated £20 million for a major action programme to reduce waiting times in the areas of orthopaedic surgery — hip replacement and other procedures — ophthalmology — cataract — ear, nose and throat surgery, cardiac surgery — by-pass operations — vascular surgery — varicose veins — and plastic surgery. The Government objective is to eliminate waiting lists in excess of 12 months in these specialties and to set a maximum period of six months for children awaiting ENT or eye treatment.
The Government is determined that these objectives will be achieved and is confident that this action programme represents a significant start in dealing with some of the problems facing our public hospital services. A planned approach is being adopted to ensure that the extra resources will be provided only where satisfactory output targets have been agreed in advance with my Department. The intention is to reward those hospitals who are doing their everyday business well and build on their strengths rather than reward inefficient units. The performance of hospitals will be monitored to ensure that the agreed increased activity targets are being achieved. Where targets are not met, the funding will be clawed back and redirected to other agencies. My Department will be in touch with the boards and the other agencies in the coming weeks and I am confident that considerable progress can be made this year in alleviating the most pressing problems throughout the country.
I put it to the Minister that the fact that these figures are not yet available is a damning indictment on him or his predecessor because it was stated that they would be available early in 1993. The figures at present being collated will represent a substantial increase on the 1991 figures, which show there is in the order of 40,000 people awaiting hospital treatment. Would the Minister agree that this is a very sad reflection on Ireland as a society? Will he be specific as to the implementation of this plan? In the Mid-Western Health Board area there are more than 10,000 people awaiting treatment and in the Midland Health Board area there are 750 people awaiting ENT treatment alone, more than half of whom are children, and the average waiting list is two and a half years. How long is the Minister prepared to preside over this situation and will he set down a specific target——
If we are to dispose of the five priority questions before us we need to be much more circumspect. Brevity is the key note.
The replies would help.
Sorry, Deputy, the questioning is too long.
The Deputy will appreciate that I have been in office for only six weeks. One of the objectives of the Programme for Government is to make a major impact on hospital waiting lists. To that end for the first time ever a specific sum of £20 million was promised and delivered in the budget over and above the normal allocation for acute hospitals and hospital boards. It is important to get value for the money we are about to expend. I have already set out in my reply the targets I intend to achieve this year.
Having regard to the savage cuts throughout the health service in the past number of years, will the Minister specify how efficient health boards will be rewarded in the order of clearing waiting lists, or is he going to go down through the list on a worst case basis?
I have indicated to the Deputy that I intend rewarding the most efficient units so as to ensure the maximum possible throughput. I have had discussions with a number of health board chairpersons and chief executives and I will have discussions with the remaining number in the coming days. I have asked each hospital to return the last year data as soon as possible so that the final figures can be achieved and a number of hospitals have yet to do that. I am determined to achieve the targets set out in the Programme for Government.
No. 6 from the same Deputy.
May I ask——
Deputy Flanagan is taking up an unfair proportion of the time allocated for priority questions.
There are 40,000 people waiting to hear this answer.
Sorry, Deputy. The Chair strives earnestly to dispose of the questions before him in a fair and equitable manner and I seek the co-operation of all concerned for that purpose.
May I finally ask the Minister if he is prepared to take on board the suggestion of a number of years ago that in order to seriously tackle waiting lists and to ensure that the £20 million is spent on the reduction of lists a crack mobile treatment unit must be introduced to engage in a service throughout the eight health board areas?
I have floated that idea myself and have had it investigated in the Department. Although that proposal is not ruled out, I have no immediate plans to bring it to fruition. My most immediate priority is to get value for money and to have operations carried out immediately. The programme I will be announcing in the next couple of weeks will have that objective in mind. I am very confident we can achieve the targets set out.