John Curran
Ceist:362. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health to outline the progress being made by the HSE and the NTPF against the targets that were set; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31775/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 12 July 2018
Ceisteanna (362)
Freagraí scríofa
Improving waiting times for hospital procedures is a key commitment in the Programme for Government and 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 and the NTPF commits to deliver additionality to the health system with the provision of 20,000 Inpatient Day Case treatments through both outsourcing and HSE insourcing.
Several factors including the cancellation of elective treatment and the increase in emergency procedures due to significant emergency Department pressures, have resulted in fewer procedures for patients on waiting lists taking place in our public hospitals. However through the active monitoring of the Action plan by my Department and the close collaboration with the HSE and the NTPF, last month the NTPF at my request, brought forward a recovery plan setting out how to address the variance in activity. It has been agreed that the NTPF will now target an additional 2,300 procedures in 2018 – or a total of 22,300, to ensure that targets are met.
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.