Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 July 2018
325. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the extent to which an audit has been carried out to identify the extent to which elective patients can access their required procedures through the course of shorter waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31192/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra326. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if a structure can be arranged whereby a general practitioner on referring a patient to a consultant can expect a more readily accessible treatment within a shorter timeframe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31193/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra327. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the degree to which a referral by a general practitioner of a patient to a consultant for an elective procedure can be streamlined with a view to a dramatic reduction in delays on waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31194/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 325 to 327, inclusive, together.
Improving waiting times for hospital procedures is a key commitment in the Programme for Government.
There are a number of waiting list initiatives currently underway to improve access this year, in particular, the Inpatient and Day Case Action Plan which was launched in April 2018 and the allocation of €50 million to the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) in Budget 2018 to secure treatment for patients and reduce waiting times.
The Action Plan targets a reduction in the waiting list for inpatient and day case treatment to below 70,000 by the end of 2018. Under the Plan, the HSE will deliver 1.14 million hospital procedures. The NTPF will deliver additionality to the health system with the provision of 22,000 Inpatient Day Case treatments through both outsourcing and HSE insourcing.
In addition my Department will continue to work with the HSE and the NTPF to identify sustainable initiatives to improve waiting times. Last year funding was allocated to provide additional capacity at the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital as a result of such initiatives 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 later this month.
The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) is responsible for collecting and validating all waiting lists for public hospitals. As part of its statutory responsibilities the NTPF has also developed the National Waiting List Management Protocol, a standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This Protocol, which has been adopted by the HSE, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists. Furthermore, the NTPF also undertakes an annual audit programme of public hospitals to ensure compliance with the waiting list protocol.
Last month I approved the establishment of a central validation function in the National Treatment Purchase Fund in order to centralise the validation of all waiting lists across the HSE. The NTPF envisages being in a position to commence validation of patient files from September of this year.
More broadly, 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.
In addition, work on the development of an integrated waiting list solution, tailored specifically to meet the needs of the Irish health system, is being advanced this year. The NTPF has examined the feasibility to progressing to an integrated system. This report is being reviewed by my unit with a view to establishing a high-level governance structure at system level to lead on implementation.
