Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 May 2018
459. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the most serious waiting list situations in respect of various procedures at various public hospitals as recorded over the past three years; the degree to which he has put in place corrective measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23770/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraImproving waiting times for hospital procedures is a key commitment in the Programme for Government and in 2018 €50 million was allocated to the NTPF to provide treatment for patients.
Waiting list data from the past three years show that the highest waiting lists have been across the specialties of orthopaedics, ophthalmology and Otolaryngology (ENT).
The recently launched Inpatient/Day Case Action Plan outlines the combined impact of HSE and National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) activity in 2018 and includes a particular focus on those specialties with high waiting lists.
Under the Action Plan the HSE will deliver 1.14 million elective inpatient and day case discharges and the NTPF will deliver 20,000 Inpatient Day Case treatments through both outsourcing and HSE insourcing. As part of this process the NTPF and the HSE are currently reviewing proposals from hospitals for waiting list initiatives. The NTPF will provide funding to the solutions proposed if appropriate.
The NTPF initiatives will include a number of high volume specialties and in particular 5,000 cataracts, 800 hip/knee replacements, 1,200 tonsillectomies. In addition, under the Plan, the NTPF commits to offer treatment to all clinically suitable patients waiting more than 9 months for treatment in these high volume specialties. This will mean that by the end of 2018 we will expect to see a significant reduction in the number waiting for a procedure to under 70,000 - from a peak of 86,100 in July 2017.
The Action Plan will continue to build on the work, in 2017, of the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) and the HSE, to maintain the reduction in the overall number of patients waiting for cataract surgery and the number of patients waiting more than 12 months. Last year funding was allocated to provide additional capacity at the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital as a result and a cataract theatre is now operational three days per week. This year, in line with the Action Plan, the HSE is planning to open a dedicated Cataract theatre in Nenagh Hospital in July.
Finally, my Department has placed a particular priority on performance improvement in scheduled and unscheduled care in order to improve access for patients. At the end of 2017, a new Unit was established in my Department with a remit to work with colleagues, HSE and NTPF to provide strategic direction and drive a whole of Department approach to performance oversight and innovation in this area. The monitoring of waiting lists is a key activity of this Unit.
