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Hospital Waiting Lists Data

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 October 2019

Tuesday, 22 October 2019

Ceisteanna (340, 341, 342, 344, 348)

Anne Rabbitte

Ceist:

340. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting for a hip operation in CHO2 in each county by periods (details supplied) in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43202/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Anne Rabbitte

Ceist:

341. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting for a knee operation in CHO2 in each county by periods (details supplied) in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43203/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Anne Rabbitte

Ceist:

342. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting for a cataract operation in CHO2 in each county by periods (details supplied) in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43204/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Anne Rabbitte

Ceist:

344. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting for a tonsillitis procedure in CHO2 in each county by periods (details supplied) in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43206/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Anne Rabbitte

Ceist:

348. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting for an assessment for osteoporosis in CHO2 in each county by periods (details supplied) in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43210/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 340 to 342, inclusive, 344 and 348 together.

Reducing waiting time for patients for hospital operations and procedures is a key priority for Government. In this regard, the Government is committed to improving waiting times for hospital appointments and procedures.

Under the Inpatient Day Case Access Plans for 2018 and 2019, hip & knee procedures, cataracts and tonsils have been among ten specialties targeted by the National Treatment Purchase fund (NTPF), and by end of September 2019, the number of people waiting nationally for one of these ten procedures had fallen by over 40% from 38,368 in July 2017 to 16,149.

The NTPF has advised that currently, there are no patients waiting for an osteoporosis assessment in the Saolta Group and hip/knee operations consists of Hip Replacements/Revisions and Knee Replacements/Revisions procedures.

More broadly, Budget 2020 announced that the Government has further increased investment in tackling waiting lists, with funding to the NTPF increasing from €75 million in 2019 to €100 million in 2020. The year-on-year increases to the National Treatment Purchase Fund since Budget 2017 reflect this Government’s priority to improve waiting times for patients to access hospital treatment.

My Department is working with the HSE and National Treatment Purchase Fund to develop the Scheduled Care Access Plan 2020. The National Service Plan 2020 will set out HSE planned activity level for the year ahead, while the NTPF will work with the hospital system to provide additionality to improve access to inpatient/daycase treatment and with a particular focus on hospital outpatient services.

In this regard, I would encourage all hospital groups and individual hospitals to engage with the NTPF to identify waiting list proposals for the remainder of this year and for 2020.

The information requested by the deputy is outlined in the document attached.

Total Waiters for Cataract Surgery in SAOLTA Hospital Group by Hospital by Wait Time Band as at 26/09/2019

Row Labels

0-4 Months

4-8 Months

8-12 Months

12 Months +

Grand Total

Saolta University Health Care Group

747

323

104

34

1208

Galway University Hospitals

415

205

61

17

698

Letterkenny University Hospital

15

12

8

35

Sligo University Hospital

317

106

38

14

475

Grand Total

747

323

104

34

1208

Total Waiters for Hip Operations in SAOLTA Hospital Group by Hospital by Wait Time Band as at 26/09/2019

Row Labels

0-4 Months

12 Months +

4-8 Months

8-12 Months

Grand Total

Saolta University Health Care Group

208

59

80

28

375

Galway University Hospitals

48

23

30

8

109

Letterkenny University Hospital

52

5

13

7

77

Mayo University Hospital

70

30

28

9

137

Sligo University Hospital

38

14

52

Grand Total

208

59

80

28

375

Total Waiters for Knee Operations in SAOLTA Hospital Group by Hospital by Wait Time Band as at 26/09/2019

Row Labels

0-4 Months

12 Months +

4-8 Months

8-12 Months

Grand Total

Saolta University Health Care Group

116

40

39

18

213

Galway University Hospitals

18

19

12

8

57

*To ensure anonymity numbers lower than 5 have been merged in certain timebands

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