Peadar Clohessy
Ceist:22 Mr. Clohessy asked the Minister for Health the average waiting time for public patients awaiting ENT surgery in the Midland Health Board area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4336/97]
Written Answers. - Hospital Waiting Lists.
Michael McDowell
Ceist:58 Mr. M. McDowell asked the Minister for Health the targets, if any, there are for the reduction of waiting lists for hip replacements for public patients in the Midland Health Board area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4340/97]
Peadar Clohessy
Ceist:66 Mr. Clohessy asked the Minister for Health the average length of waiting time for public patients awaiting hip replacement operations in the Midland Health Board area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4335/97]
Limerick East): I propose to take Questions Nos. 22, 58 and 66 together.
Since the waiting list initiative commenced in 1993, it has focused upon those areas of hospital treatment where long waiting times were causing the greatest hardship. These areas included ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgery, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, plastic surgery, vascular surgery, general surgery, gynaecology and urology. Attention has been focused most specifically upon the position of adults waiting over 12 months and children waiting over six months in these target specialties.
Considerable progress has been made in reducing waiting lists for surgery in the target specialties over the last three years. When the waiting list initiative commenced in June 1993, there was 40,130 people on waiting lists for hospital treatment. Waiting list figures for the end of 1996 show that the number of persons waiting for treatment at the end of 1996 had fallen to 25,959. This represents significant progress in the reduction of waiting lists and demonstrates the Government's concern to ensure that the necessary resources are provided to improve waiting times for treatment.
I am happy to assure the House that special measures to reduce waiting lists will continue in 1997. The provision of special funding to reduce waiting times continues to be a priority for the Government and £4 million has been provided in the budget to continue progress in this area. This provision will bring to £8 million the total funding available in 1997 to address the problem of long waiting times for elective surgery. The funding provided in 1997 brings to £58 million the total resources committed to the reduction of hospital waiting lists since the current initiative commenced in 1993. My Department will be holding detailed discussions with health agencies in the coming weeks on the allocation of this funding.
Information regarding waiting times for public patients awaiting hip replacement and ENT surgery in the Midland Health Board area is set out in the following tables:
|
Specialty |
Adults 3-12 months |
Adults over 12 months |
Total |
|
Ear, nose, throat |
213 |
160 |
373 |
|
Hip replacements |
79 |
58 |
137 |
|
Specialty |
Children 3-6 months |
Children over 6 months |
Total |
|
Ear, nose, throat |
68 |
310 |
378 |
My Department does not routinely collect information regarding average waiting times.