Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 26 May 1998

Vol. 491 No. 3

Written Answers. - Hospital Waiting Lists.

Alan Shatter

Ceist:

265 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health and Children whether he has allocated funding under the 1998 waiting list initiative; if so, the details of the funding allocated and the objectives of this allocation; if no funding has been allocated, the reason for the delay in the allocation of this funding; and his policy regarding significantly reducing the 1998 waiting list figures as at the end of the first quarter of 1998. [12569/98]

Alan Shatter

Ceist:

283 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health and Children the public patient waiting list statistics in all relevant categories furnished to his Department for the period up to and including 31 March 1998; when he is allocating funding under the 1998 waiting list initiative; and the nature of the allocations he will make. [11824/98]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 265 and 283 together.

The information requested by the Deputy regarding waiting list statistics is set out in the following tables one and two. December 1997 is the latest period for which figures are available. To date a sum of £9 million has already been allocated by my Department to the participating agencies as set out in table three.

The remaining £3 million will be allocated towards cardiac surgery and other services in the near future. The objective of the funding provided under the waiting list initiative is to reduce waiting times in target specialties to 12 months or less for adults and to six months or less in the case of children.

On 4 December 1997 my Department wrote to the participating agencies setting out the revised arrangements for the operation of the waiting list initiative in 1998. The following revised arrangements now apply in respect of agencies in receipt of funding for work on waiting lists: agencies were notified in their determination of net expenditure of the level of funding available to them; this has given agencies early notice of the money available and will enable them to plan their activity accordingly; the service plans should specify targets for waiting lists actively during the year; it is the responsibility of the chief executive officer-hospital manager to ensure that the targets are achieved and to take corrective action as necessary; there will be an increased focus 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 twelve months in the specialties targeted for attention; and agencies have been requested to designate an individual to act as a co-ordinator of waiting list work and as a contact point with the funding agency.

TABLE 1

Organisation name	Public In-Patient Waiting List at 31-12-97
Adelaide Hospital	823
Beaumont Hospital	1,575
Cavan General Hospital	252
Coombe Women's Hospital	68
Cork University Hospital	872
Ennis	0
Ennis General Hospital	0
Hume Street Hospital (Dublin)	0
James Connolly Memorial Hospital (Blanchardstown)	108
Letterkenny General Hospital	635
Longford/Westmeath General Hospital (Mullingar)	121
Louth County Hospital, Dundalk	33
Mallow General Hospital	0
Mater Misericordiae Hospital	3,589
Mayo General Hospital, Castlebar	45
Meath Hospital	576
Mercy Hospital, Cork	616
Merlin Park Regional Hospital, Galway	580
Monaghan General Hospital	341
Naas General Hospital	61
National Children's Hospital (Harcourt Street)	37
National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street	71
National Rehabilitation Hospital	0
Nenagh General Hospital	0
Orthopaedic Hospital, Kilcreene	516
Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital (Drogheda)	336
Our Lady's General Hospital, Navan	587
Our Lady's Hospital (Crumlin)	614
Our Lady's Hospital, Cashel	58
Portiuncula Hospital (Ballinasloe)	221
Portlaoise General Hospital	198
Regional Hospital (Dooradoyle), Limerick	1,328
Regional Orthopaedic Hospital (Croom)	643
Roscommon General Hospital	10
Rotunda Hospital (Dublin)	52
Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital (Dublin)	598
Sligo Regional Hospital	1,309
South Infirmary/Victoria Hospital Ltd.	1,132
St. Columcille's Hospital (Loughlinstown)	0
St. John's Hospital (Limerick)	237
St. Joseph's Hospital, Clonmel	215
St. Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny	504
St. Luke's and St. Anne's Hospitals	0
St. Mary's Hospital, Cappagh	1,027
St. Mary's Hospital, Gurranebraher	769
St. Michael's Hospital (Dunlaoire)	177
St. Vincent's Hospital (Elm Park)	1,839
St. James's Hospital	2,417
Temple Street Children's Hospital (Dublin)	1,089
Tralee General Hospital	239
Tullamore General Hospital	1,746
University College Hospital, Galway	2,430
Waterford Maternity Hospital (Airmount)	0
Waterford Regional Hospital, Ardkeen	1,287
Wexford General Hospital	225
TOTAL	32,206

TABLE 2

Specilty name	Public In-Patient Waiting List at 31-12-97
Cardiac Surgery	1,371
Cardiology	1,299
Chemotherapy	0
Dental	347
Dermatology	24
E.N.T.	7,138
Endocrine	64
Endocrinology	4
Endoscopy	153
Gastro-enterology	139
Genito-Urinary	8
Gerontology	4
Gynaecology	2,216
Haematology	3
Maxillo-Facial	277
Medicine	67
Metabolic	0
Nephrology	18
Neurology	59
Neurosurgery	175
Obstetrics	0
Oncology	1
Ophthalmology	3,002
Orthodontics	0
Orthopaedics	6,432
Paediatrics	0
Pain	209
Plastic Surgery	1,720
Psychiatry	12
Radiotherapy	0
Rehabilitation	0
Renal	0
Respiratory	97
Rheumatology	54
Surgery	2,958
Thoracic	25
Urology	1,604
Vascular	2,726
TOTAL	32,206

TABLE 3

Allocation of £9m Waiting List Funding, 1998 (Non Cardiac)

Eastern	1998	1998
	(£9.0m)	Total by Board
Adelaide/Meath/Tallaght	310,000
Beaumont	664,000
Coombe Women's Hospital	34,000
Mater	664,000
Our Lady's Crumlin	50,000
Rotunda Hospital	90,000
Royal Victoria Eye & Ear	274,000
St. James's	1,125,000
St. Vincent's, Elm Park	907,000
Temple Street	100,000
EHB Total		4,218,000
Midland	580,000	580,000
Mid-Western	614,000	689,000
St. John's Hospital	75,000
North-Eastern	520,000	520,000
North-Western	620,000	620,000
South-Eastern	697,000	697,000
Southern	593,000
South Infirmary/Victoria	150,000
Mercy Hospital	66,000	809,000
Western	867,000	867,000
Health Board Total		9,000,000