Written Answers Nos. 267-286
267. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of children in County Wexford awaiting a CAMHS appointment; the number waiting less than 12 months; the number waiting more than 12, 24, 36 and 48 months, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53505/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
269. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of children in County Wexford awaiting an audiology appointment; the number waiting less than 12 months; the number waiting more than 12, 24, 36 and 48 months, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53507/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
270. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of children in County Wexford awaiting an ophthalmology appointment; the number waiting less than 12 months; the number waiting more than 12, 24, 36 and 48 months, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53508/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
271. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of children in County Wexford awaiting a dietetic appointment; the number waiting less than 12 months; the number waiting more than 12, 24, 36 and 48 months, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53509/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply.
272. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of children in County Wexford awaiting a speech and language therapy appointment; the number awaiting initial assessment, initial therapy and further therapy, respectively; the number waiting less than 12 months; the number waiting more than 12, 24, 36 and 48 months, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53510/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply.
273. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of children in County Wexford awaiting a physiotherapy appointment; the number waiting less than 12 months; the number waiting more than 12, 24, 36 and 48 months, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53511/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply.
274. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of children in County Wexford awaiting an occupational therapy appointment; the number waiting less than 12 months; the number waiting more than 12, 24, 36 and 48 months, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53512/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply.
275. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of children in County Wexford awaiting an appointment for hospital treatment; the number waiting less than 12 months; the number waiting more than 12, 24, 36 and 48 months, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53513/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra276. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of children in County Wexford awaiting a diagnostics appointment; the number waiting less than 12 months; the number waiting more than 12, 24, 36 and 48 months, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53514/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra278. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of children in County Wexford awaiting an ENT appointment; the number waiting less than 12 months; the number waiting more than 12, 24, 36 and 48 months, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53516/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra279. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of children in County Wexford awaiting a tonsil appointment; the number waiting less than 12 months; the number waiting more than 12, 24, 36 and 48 months, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53517/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra280. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of children in County Wexford awaiting a treatment purchase fund appointment; the number waiting less than 12 months; the number waiting more than 12, 24, 36 and 48 months, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53518/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 275, 276 and 278 to 280, inclusive, 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.
Budget 2020 announced that the Government has further increased investment in tackling waiting lists, with funding to the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) increasing from €75 million in 2019 to €100 million in 2020.
My Department is working with the HSE and NTPF 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 relation to the specific queries regarding children in County Wexford, the NTPF has provided the data requested for Outpatient, Inpatient /Day Case, ENT and Tonsils waiting lists, in the following tables.
With regard to children in County Wexford who are waiting for a diagnostic appointment, the HSE advise that a pilot project was commenced in 2016 by the HSE Acute Hospitals Division to progress the collection of national radiology waiting list data. The project has been supported by the Radiology Clinical Care Programme and has involved key stakeholders across the system including the National NIMIS Team, Hospital Groups, and the support of the National Treatment Purchase Fund for data collection and data management expertise
The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) further advise that they do not currently store patient demographic data (including names, addresses or dates of birth) for patients on the Diagnostics waiting list and hence do not have the data to provide an answer to this query. The Diagnostics waiting list data is aggregated to provide a National Level overview of the number of patients waiting for modalities of CT, MRI and Ultrasound. The data is not intended to be used for the active management of hospital diagnostics waiting lists.
In relation to the number of children in County Wexford awaiting an NTPF appointment, the NTPF works with public hospitals, as opposed to with patients directly, to offer and provide the funding for treatment to clinically suitable long waiting patients who are on an inpatient/day case waiting list for surgery, having been referred on to such a list following clinical assessment by a consultant/specialist at an outpatient clinic.
The key criteria of the NTPF is the prioritisation of the longest waiting patients first. While the NTPF identifies patients eligible for NTPF treatment, it is solely on the basis of their time spent on the Inpatient/Daycase Waiting List. The clinical suitability of the patient to avail of NTPF funded treatment is determined by the public hospital.
While children with addresses in County Wexford may have been approved for NTPF funded treatment, the NTPF issues the authorisation notices to the relevant hospital and does not collate the data by the area of residence of the patients.
Inpatient/Day Case - Children with an Area of Residence in Co.Wexford by Wait Time Band as at 28/11/2019
|
< 12 Months |
12-24 Months |
24-36 Months |
36-48 Months |
> 48 Months |
Grand Total |
|
|
Grand Total |
129 |
25 |
16 |
1 |
1 |
172 |
|
Otolaryngology (ENT) Inpatient/Day Case Waiting List for Children with an Area of Residence in Co. Wexford by Wait Time Band as at 28/11/2019 |
||||||
|
< 12 Months |
12-24 Months |
24-36 Months |
36-48 Months |
> 48 Months |
Grand Total |
|
|
Grand Total |
16 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
17 |
|
Inpatient/Day Case Waiting List for a Tonsils Procedure for Children with an Area of Residence in Co. Wexford by Wait Time Band as at 28/11/2019 |
||||||
|
< 12 Months |
12-24 Months |
24-36 Months |
36-48 Months |
> 48 Months |
Grand Total |
|
|
Grand Total |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
|
Waiting List for a first Outpatient Appointment for Children with an Area of Residence in Co. Wexford by Wait Time Band as at 28/11/2019 |
||||||
|
< 12 Months |
12-24 Months |
24-36 Months |
36-48 Months |
> 48 Months |
Grand Total |
|
|
Grand Total |
1314 |
469 |
273 |
97 |
17 |
2170 |
277. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of children in County Wexford awaiting a dental appointment; the number waiting less than 12 months; the number waiting more than 12, 24, 36 and 48 months, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53515/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
281. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health the average handover time in which responsibility for the patient is transferred from the ambulance service to the hospital in respect of ambulances arriving at the emergency department at Cork University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53524/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the the Deputy.
282. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health his plans to open additional acute beds at Cork University Hospital during the winter months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53525/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) has agreed, at my request, to support the marginal costs of funding additional beds for three months to the end of March 2020. This initiative will support the commitment by the HSE and my Department to alleviate winter pressures in our hospital system. Hospitals have been invited to make submissions to the NTPF to utilise this funding. To date, the NTPF has approved in principle, subject to appropriate governance and oversight, 172 additional beds including an additional 20 beds in CUH.
These beds will be funded from the NTPF budget at a cost of approximately €4.6 million. Furthermore, the NTPF is currently assessing further proposals which are still being received. Given the challenges facing the Emergency Departments, with the exceptionally high use of trolleys for patients, I would urge all hospital groups and individual hospitals, which have not already done so, to engage with the NTPF to identify proposals to provide additional bed capacity for the winter period.
283. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health the number of nursing and consultant vacancies in each hospital in County Cork in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53526/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly as soon as possible.
284. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health the status of plans for the development a new long-stay facility at St. Finbarr’s Hospital, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53534/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
285. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health the status of plans for the development of a primary care centre at a location (details supplied) in County Cork; the steps in the process; when the primary care centre will be developed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53535/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra286. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health the status of plans for the development of a primary care centre at a location (details supplied) in County Cork; the steps in the process; when the primary care centre will be developed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53536/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 285 and 286 together.
As the HSE has responsibility for the provision, along with the maintenance and operation of Primary Care Centres and other Primary Care facilities, the Executive has been asked to reply directly to the Deputy.
