Vol. 541 No. 4
293 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Health and Children the number on waiting lists in the Midland Health Board area, for the various elective surgical procedures; the number of those who are waiting for coronary bypass operations; the number waiting for orthodontic treatment; the number in each category who are waiting three months, six months, twelve months, and over 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22814/01]
294 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of patients in the Midland Health Board area who are waiting for an appointment to see a consultant surgeon; the length of time they are waiting for an appointment for a first consultation with their particular specialist in each of those areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22815/01]
I propose to answer Questions Nos. 293 and 294 together.
The hospital in-patient waiting times, the numbers on waiting lists and the number of patients awaiting orthodontic treatment in the Midland Health Board as at 30 June 2001 are being communicated separately to the Deputy. Out-patient waiting list data are not routinely collected by my Department.
National waiting list information is collated by my Department from data supplied by health agencies and is broken down by the total number of adults and children waiting for procedures at the hospitals within their respective areas. Cardiac surgery is performed in three Dublin hospitals and at Cork University Hospital. The total number waiting for cardiac surgery at 30 June 2001 was 420.
The overall number of patients on waiting lists at 30 June 2001, as reported by health agencies, was 26,659, a drop of 5,192 or 16% on the comparative figure for 2000. The number of adults waiting for more than 12 months for treatment and the number of children waiting more than six months for treatment in the target specialities have both fallen by 20% in the same period. Reductions in waiting lists have been achieved across each of the eight health board regions in the period June 2000 to June 2001 with a reduction of 28% being achieved in the Midland Health Board area.
Hospital waiting lists must be viewed against the background of a hospital system which discharged some 870,000 in-patients in 2000. The number of people currently on hospital in-patient waiting lists represents just 3% of all in-patient discharges in 2000. I will continue to focus on waiting lists and waiting times in order to ensure that services are available and accessible to those who most need them.
