Finian McGrath
Ceist:399 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding waiting lists for cancer services, heart surgery, hip operations and other priority medical needs. [11347/03]
Written Answers. - Hospital Waiting Lists.
Waiting list data compiled by my Department generally covers those patients waiting for elective treatment. Considerable progress has been made in reducing waiting times for public patients in 2002. The total number of children waiting for more than six months for in-patient treatment fell by 24% between June and September 2002. The total number of adults waiting for more than 12 months for in-patient treatment in the nine target surgical specialities covered by the waiting list initiative fell by 15% between June and September 2002. Between September 2001 and September 2002 the number of children waiting for more than six months for cardiac surgery decreased by 77% while the number of adults waiting for more than 12 months for cardiac surgery decreased by 21% in the same period.
Data on waiting times specifically for cancer services is not routinely collected by my Department. However, my Department recently consulted with all health boards and the position is that surgical oncology patients are treated as an urgent priority and are generally operated on without delay.
While the waiting list initiative will continue to fund additional elective activity, the national treatment purchase fund is being used to target those waiting longest for treatment. Funding of €43.8 million has been provided in 2003 for the initiative and some €31 million has been provided for the national treatment purchase fund. To date, approximately 4,000 patients have received treatment under the national treatment purchase fund.
The number of people on public hospital waiting lists for all specialities including heart surgery and orthopaedic operations for the quarter ended September 2002, the latest date for which figures have been published, is being provided separately to the Deputy.