Written Answers. - Hospital Waiting Lists.
Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:
75
Mr. Durkan
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
if his attention has been drawn to the length of time patients are on waiting lists in relation to a variety of forms of surgery, including hip replacement, cardio by-pass and ENT; his views on whether these waiting lists are satisfactory; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that medical card holders who have spent a considerable time on waiting lists are being informed that they can have immediate attention if they opt for private treatment; if he has satisfied himself that this trend is in accordance with his departmental policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[2223/98]
Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:
141
Mr. Durkan
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
the current waiting list in respect of hip operations; the longest waiting period for a patient on that list; whether he intends to address the problem of these waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[2324/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 75 and 141 together.
The following table sets out the information requested by the Deputy in relation to hip replacements for the period ending 30 September 1997, the latest date for which data are available, in the format collected by my Department.
|
Procedure
|
3–12 months
|
Over 12 months
|
Total
|
|
Hip replacements
|
895
|
473
|
1,368
|
Since the waiting list initiative commenced in 1993, it has focused upon those areas of hospital treatment where long waiting times have caused the greatest difficulty. These areas include cardiac surgery, ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgery, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, plastic surgery, vascular surgery, general surgery, gynaecology and urology.
I am conscious of the numbers waiting for treatment in public hospitals, including the specialties mentioned by the Deputy. With this in mind, I have provided a total of £12 million to address hospital waiting lists in 1998. This brings to £70 million the total resources committed to the reduction of hospital waiting lists since the current initiative commenced in 1993. It represents a 50 per cent increase over the funding made available last year for waiting list work.
In addition, I have reviewed the arrangements for application of waiting list funding and I have recently taken the following initiatives to improve the effectiveness of the system:
Where applicable, agencies have been notified in their determination of net expenditure for 1998 of the level of funding available to them for waiting list work. This will give agencies much earlier notice of the money available than in previous years and will enable them to plan their activity accordingly.
Each agency's service plan must now specify targets for waiting list activity during the year. It will then be the responsibility of the chief executive officer-hospital manager to ensure that the targets are achieved and to take corrective action, if necessary, as the year proceeds.
Agencies have been instructed to focus increasingly on waiting times as well as on waiting lists, with the objective of ensuring that children do not have to wait longer than six months and adults no longer than 12 months in the specialties targeted for attention.
Where agencies have not already done so, they have been requested to designate an individual to act as a co-ordinator of waiting list work within the agency and as a contact point with the Department.
I am confident that taken together these measures offer the best means of reducing both waiting lists and waiting times. This will be to the benefit of all patients, particularly medical card holders, who depend on the services provided in public hospitals.
