Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 April 2018
271. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the extent to which provision is being made to identify persons on long waiting lists for various treatment, with particular reference to those with the most urgent requirement with a view to expediting the process in order to avail of every opportunity to reduce such waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17384/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government commits to reducing waiting times for procedures in hospitals and to increase funding to the National Treatment Purchase Fund to deliver on this commitment. In the Budget and Estimates 2018, funding for the NTPF to treat public patients was increased to €50 million.
The Inpatient/Day Case Action Plan is a joint initiative between the HSE, the NTPF and my Department and sets the projected activity and impact that will be delivered in 2018 from within the allocated funding. As outlined in the Action Plan, a projected 1.16 million inpatient and day case procedures will take place in 2018, with NTPF activity accounting for 20,000 procedures and HSE activity 1.14 million procedures.
The overall number of patients waiting for an inpatient or day case procedure is projected to fall to below 70,000 by year end, from a peak of 86,100 in July 2017.
As part of the plan, all patients who are waiting more than 9 months for a cataract, hip and/or knee replacement, tonsils, Gastro Intestinal scope or one of four other high-volume treatments will be offered treatment in 2018 if clinically suitable. Therefore it is planned that the number of patients waiting longer than 9 months will fall by 10,000 by year end.
My ambition is to build upon this progress in 2019 and to further reduce waiting time for Irish patients.
