Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 8 Dec 1998

Vol. 498 No. 1

Written Answers. - Hospital Waiting Lists.

John Gormley

Ceist:

254 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children the guidelines, if any, provided to hospitals being requested by his Department to carry out bulk postal reviews of patients on their waiting lists where they have not done so in the previous 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26739/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

255 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children the procedures, if any, to be followed in order to create the improved flow of information which is to be encouraged between primary and hospital care regarding the status of patients on waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26740/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

256 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children the details of the study of hospital capacity to be carried out as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26743/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

257 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children the additional resources to be allocated to agencies under the aegis of his Department to allow them to review their information systems to ensure that they can maintain accurate and up to date waiting list initiative data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26745/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

259 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will report on the additional resources to be provided in order to enable hospitals to proceed with the appointment of bed managers and bed utilisation committees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26747/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

261 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will report on the progress of the initiative to develop a written policy on planning the discharge of older patients and on liaising with community based services as announced recently by his Department. [26749/98]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 254, 255, 256, 257, 259 and 261 together.

I have allocated a total of £20 million in 1999 to reduce waiting lists and waiting times significantly. The figure allocated in 1998 for this purpose was £12 million, to which I added a further £8 million for waiting list work in 1999. This total figure of £20 million for 1999 represents a 66 per cent increase over the funding available in 1998, and is 2.5 times higher than the amount allocated in 1997 by the previous Government.

In addition, I have allocated a total of £11 million to service areas which are of particular importance to implementing the recommendations of the Review Group on the Waiting List Initiative. The report recommended a range of steps to free up acute hospital facilities for more elective work. It pointed out that a significant proportion of acute hospital beds were being inappropriately used by patients who did not need, or who no longer needed, acute hospital care. This problem arises due to a shortage of places in the areas of step-down or convalescent care, rehabilitation facilities and community based services which reduce the need to use acute hospital care.

The £11 million that I have allocated with these issues in mind comprises £9 million for services for older people and £2 million for accident and emergency services. It will be allocated to such areas as community nursing units, community supports, home help services and the subvention of nursing homes, all of which have a part to play in reducing pressures on acute hospital facilities.

My Department has already had discussions with health boards and voluntary hospitals on the implementation of the immediate term recommendations of the Review Group on the Waiting list Initiative. Based on these discussions and on the recommendations of the report, my Department will shortly be issuing a policy circular on a range of operational issues relating to the operation of the waiting list initiative for 1999 and subsequent years. In this connection, hospitals have already commenced a validation process which involves bulk postal reviews where appropriate. The policy circular will set out further guidelines aimed at achieving an improved flow of information between primary and hospital care regarding the status of each patient on a public in-patient waiting list. The importance of developing a written policy on planning the discharge of older patients will be emphasised in the policy circular.

At the request of my Department, agencies reviewed their capacity for carrying out waiting list work in 1999, and submitted their conclusions to the Department. A number of hospitals identified scope for carrying out additional activity in order to reduce waiting lists, and some have indicated that they will be in a position to carry out waiting list work on behalf of other agencies. On this basis, I was able to allocate waiting list funding having regard to the relative capacity of each agency.

The increased allocations to agencies will enable any necessary improvements in information systems, and the appointment of bed managers and bed utilisation committees as appropriate, to be carried out.