Joan Collins
Ceist:363. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health the actions being taken to address the outpatient waiting lists for children who are waiting up to 36 months for an appointment. [26500/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 19 June 2018
Ceisteanna (363)
Freagraí scríofa
Improving waiting times for hospital procedures and outpatient appointments is a key commitment in the Programme for Government. While the Inpatient and Day Case (IPDC) Action Plan was published in April to address waiting times for IPDC procedures, the Outpatient waiting list remains a significant challenge to be addressed in 2018.
Each year, 3.3 million patients attend Hospital Outpatient clinics for appointments. The HSE has commenced the development of an Outpatient Department Action Plan for 2018. The HSE will work with the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) and the Department of Health to finalise a joint plan focused on improving overall use of resources and ensuring timely access to treatment and care for our patients.
The Children’s Hospital Group (CHG) continues to work with the NTPF to manage long waiting lists for clinically appropriate groups, and with the HSE’s Acute Hospital Division to secure year on year investment in critical pressure areas. Capacity challenges are managed daily with each of the three children’s hospitals supporting each other in terms of bed utilisation and availability.
Part of the rationale for the development of the new children’s hospital is the challenges with existing physical infrastructure across the hospitals in the Group. The design of the new children’s hospital and Paediatric Outpatient and Urgent Care Centres at Connolly and Tallaght Hospitals is based on a thorough analysis of capacity and demand and services will be provided in line with best practice and the National Model of Care for Paediatrics and Neonatology, the acute strand of the HSE’s Integrated Care Programme for Children.