Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 March 2018
586. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health his views on the fact that the Euro Health Consumer Index 2017 has reported that Irish persons' waiting times for hospital treatment are the worst in Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12506/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Euro Health Consumer Index 2017 report has highlighted areas that our health service are focused on improving. Reducing waiting times for the longest waiting patients is one of this Government's key priorities. Waiting times are often unacceptably long and I am conscious of the burden that this places on patients and their families.
Budget 2018 allocated a total of €55m for the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), more than doubling the 2017 allocation of €20m. The HSE and the NTPF are currently finalising 2018 Waiting List Action Plans for 2018, with a specific focus on reducing the number of patients waiting the longest for inpatient and daycase procedures.
Waiting List Figures for the end of February, published by the NTPF on 14 March, show that 72% of Inpatient Day Case patients and 61% of outpatients are waiting 9 months or less.
At the end of February 2018, there were 79,039 patients in total waiting for an inpatient or day case procedure, this is a reduction of 1,165 patients waiting compared to the end of January 2018 and a reduction of 7,075 when compared to the numbers waiting at the end of July 2017.
This is against a background of increasing demands on our Acute Hospitals, which, since 2000 are carrying out four times more procedures for patients aged 65 and over and twice as many in the under 65 age group.
More broadly, a number of system-wide improvements to Waiting List Management are being undertaken to reform and improve how our health service manages hospital waiting lists. These initiatives seek to drive sustainable, multi-faceted and innovative approaches in waiting list management.
