Billy Kelleher
Ceist:426 Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the basis for the difference in calculating waiting lists by the Health Service Executive and the special delivery unit. [40257/11]
Amharc ar fhreagraDáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 December 2011
426 Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the basis for the difference in calculating waiting lists by the Health Service Executive and the special delivery unit. [40257/11]
Amharc ar fhreagra473 Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the criteria he uses to calculate the length of time patients are on waiting lists for surgery; if it has changed over the course of the year; if so, the way this has come about; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39728/11]
Amharc ar fhreagra474 Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the reason the number of patients who are waiting for more than one year for surgery in Galway University Hospital has increased in one year to 1,496 from 600; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39729/11]
Amharc ar fhreagra475 Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form the number of patients who are waiting for more than one year for surgery in each hospital; the same figure for this time last year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39730/11]
Amharc ar fhreagra476 Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if the recently published figures from the Health Service Executive regarding 30,756 patients on the waiting lists for surgery are correct; if they have improved or disimproved; the actions he is taking to reduce them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39731/11]
Amharc ar fhreagra477 Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if the number of patients waiting for more than one year for surgery, now calculated by the Health Service Executive as 3,117, as of September, is correct; if incorrect, if he will provide the correct figure for those waiting for more than one year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39732/11]
Amharc ar fhreagra478 Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if the methodology used to calculate the number of patients waiting for surgery is the one used by the Health Service Executive or the National Treatment Purchase Fund; if it is validated by European guidelines on waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39733/11]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 426 and 473 to 478, inclusive, together.
In July of this year I requested that public hospitals ensure that, by the end of 2011, they have no patients waiting more than 12 months for treatment. In order to achieve this target a new calculation methodology was introduced, the new method is described as the ‘Maximum Waiting Time Target'.
The NTPF working on behalf of the Special Delivery Unit was first tasked with creating a comprehensive list of those persons — who if not treated — would be waiting for over 12 months by the 31st of December 2011. The creation of such a list therefore had to effectively search into the future to estimate the number of people that might require treatment. In July of this year the NTPF established the list by ascertaining all the names of people who had been listed for treatment on or before the 31st of December 2010. The list contained approximately 14,000 names. It is clear that that database had to include ALL of the patients who would have reached or exceeded a 12 month target on the 31st of December 2011. This list is referred to as the Primary Targeting List (PTL).
This explains why the list being operated by the NTPF for the SDU is calculated on a different basis to the list offered by the HSE in its performance reports. The HSE list, also compiled by the NTPF, is a snapshot and relates to those who had already been waiting longer than 12 months on a specific day. By the end of August it was determined that 9,657 persons listed on or before 31 December 2010 continued to be available for treatment. Of these all but 684 had received their treatment by 8th December last.
The NTPF determined in August that University College Hospital Galway (UCHG) had 2,530 patients whose treatment must be provided by the end of December this year in order for UCHG to meet the new target that no patient could be waiting for longer than 12 months for treatment at the end of this year. I can confirm that as of 8th December this number has fallen to 455. The NTPF and the SDU continue to work closely with UCHG to reduce this figure further.
In relation to the Deputy's question regarding the 30,756 September figure for patients waiting over three months, I can confirm that this number is correct. However I wish to advise the Deputy that the number for people waiting over 3 months at the end of November is 26,832 indicating a significant reduction of 13%. The NTPF calculation methodology has been in place for some time and there have been no changes in this regard.
The NTPFs Patient Treatment Register was established in 2005 and is compliant with the Council of Europe Recommendations. The number of patients who are waiting for more than one year for surgery in each hospital now and this time last year is set out in the following table. The figures are from the Patient Treatment Register and show the numbers of patients waiting 12 months or more as of 8 December 2011. They differ somewhat from the PTL.
HOSPITAL NAME |
Dec-10> 12mths |
Dec-11> 12mths |
Variation |
AMNCH (Tallaght) |
37 |
1 |
-36 |
Bantry General Hospital |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Beaumont |
155 |
50 |
-105 |
Cappagh Orthopaedic Hospital |
12 |
2 |
-10 |
Cavan General Hospital |
5 |
0 |
-5 |
Children’s University Hospital, Temple Street |
54 |
1 |
-53 |
Connolly (Blanchardstown) |
0 |
1 |
1 |
Cork University Hospital |
183 |
37 |
-146 |
Kerry General Hospital |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Kilcreene Orthopaedic |
25 |
0 |
-25 |
Letterkenny General Hospital |
20 |
1 |
-19 |
Louth County Hospital |
2 |
0 |
-2 |
Mallow General Hospital |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Mater Misericordiae Hospital |
79 |
15 |
-64 |
Mayo General Hospital |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Mercy University Hospital |
42 |
0 |
-42 |
Merlin Park Hospital Galway |
25 |
50 |
25 |
Midland Regional at Mullingar |
24 |
1 |
-23 |
Midland Regional at Portlaoise |
1 |
0 |
-1 |
Midland Regional at Tullamore |
34 |
0 |
-34 |
Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Croom |
2 |
0 |
-2 |
Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Dooradoyle |
55 |
30 |
-25 |
Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Ennis |
0 |
4 |
4 |
Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Nenagh |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Monaghan General Hospital |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Naas General Hospital |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda |
4 |
0 |
-4 |
Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children Crumlin |
139 |
0 |
-139 |
Our Lady’s Hospital Navan |
12 |
0 |
-12 |
Portiuncula General Hospital |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Roscommon County Hospital |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Royal Victoria Eye and Ear |
1 |
0 |
-1 |
Sligo General Hospital |
10 |
3 |
-7 |
South Infirmary — Victoria University Hospital |
8 |
3 |
-5 |
South Tipperary General |
0 |
0 |
0 |
St. Columcille’s Loughlinstown |
0 |
0 |
0 |
St. James’s Hospital |
0 |
0 |
0 |
St. John’s Hospital Limerick* |
1 |
0 |
-1 |
St. Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny |
2 |
0 |
-2 |
St. Michael’s, Dun Laoghaire |
0 |
0 |
0 |
St. Vincent’s University Hospital |
11 |
0 |
-11 |
University College Hospital Galway |
94 |
430 |
336 |
Waterford Regional Hospital |
46 |
0 |
-46 |
Wexford General Hospital |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Grand Totals |
1,083 |
629 |
-454 |