Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Ceist:86 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of people to date who have been treated under the treatment purchase fund scheme. [19562/02]
Written Answers. - Hospital Waiting Lists.
Arising from the health strategy, Quality and Fairness – A Health System for You, one of the key actions for dealing with the public hospital waiting lists was the establishment of the national treatment purchase fund, NTPF. The NTPF was set up in April and referred its first patients for treatment at the end of June.
Health boards and hospitals have been asked to identify public hospital patients waiting longest on in-patient lists, so that they can be offered treatment under this initiative. The NTPF is initially concentrating on adults who have been waiting on in-patient lists for more than 12 months and children waiting for more than six months. Public patients, who satisfy this criteria can apply to their GP, hospital consultant or to their local health board liaison person to seek to have their treatment carried out under the NTPF. The patient's consent to being treated under this scheme is also sought. Capacity is sourced by the NTPF and patients are referred for treatment.
To date, capacity has been sourced in private hospitals in Ireland, Northern Ireland and in England. In the current year the NTPF expects to treat up to 2,000 patients and from January 2003 it expects to refer 600 patients per month for treatment. To date, approximately 1,000 patients have been treated under this initiative.
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Ceist:87 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of adults currently on hospital waiting lists in excess of 12 months. [19563/02]
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Ceist:88 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of children currently on hospital waiting lists in excess of six months. [19564/02]
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Ceist:89 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health and Children the numbers of children on waiting lists in excess of six months on the hospital waiting list by speciality. [19565/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 87 to 89, inclusive, together.
The total number of adults on public hospital waiting lists in excess of 12 months, as at 31 March 2002, the latest date for which figures have been published, was 8,252. The total number of children on public hospital waiting lists in excess of six months was 1,922. The number of children on hospital waiting lists in excess of six months by speciality is being communicated separately to the Deputy.