Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 May 2021
873. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Health his views on whether it is appropriate in respect of the redress scheme applicable to women who resided in Magdalene laundries that a person (details supplied) having waited a period of four years for a cataract operation was required to pay a sum of money to obtain such treatment; if he will investigate same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24476/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI sincerely regret that patients can experience a long waiting time for appointments and treatment, and I am conscious of the burden that this places on them and their families.
I can advise the Deputy that the National Waiting List Management Policy is a standardised approach used by the HSE to manage scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures. It sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists and was developed in 2014 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. It is the responsibility of the treating Consultant to clinically prioritise patients for surgery on the waiting list.
In recent years, Department of Health has worked with the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) to improve access for patients waiting for high volume procedures, including cataracts. Ophthalmology services are provided throughout all hospital groups in the country, with cataract removal one of the key procedures carried out as part of this specialty.
A key development in improving access to Ophthalmology services was the opening of a stand-alone high-volume consultant-led cataract theatre by the University of Limerick Hospital Group in Nenagh Hospital in 2018, with the intention that it would facilitate patients from surrounding geographical areas to avail of their treatment there. The impact of such initiatives can be seen in the reduction in the waiting times to access cataract procedures since 2019. At the end of March 2021 there were 4,226 patients waiting for a cataract procedure compared to 6,268 in March 2019.
The work of the HSE to improve access to elective care and reduce waiting times for patients is supported by the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF). This includes increased use of private hospitals, funding weekend and evening work in public hospitals, funding “see and treat” services where minor procedures are provided at the same time as outpatient consultations, funding hybrid services where public and private hospitals contribute to the treatment of patients, virtual clinics and clinical validation.
€240 million has been provided in Budget 2021 to improve access to care, €210m of which has been allocated to the HSE and a further €30m to the National Treatment Purchase Fund. This will be used to fund additional capacity to address the shortfall arising as a result of measures taken in the context of COVID-19, as well as to address waiting lists.
With regard to the particular circumstances of the individual referenced by the Deputy, my Department has contacted the Deputy's office for further information to investigate this issue. However, this information is not to hand and, once received, I will arrange for the matter to be examined and a response to issue to the Deputy.
The Deputy may be aware that, as part of the package of wide ranging supports for Magdalen Laundry survivors, eligible participants do not have to pay the public hospital in-patient statutory charge. This exemptions means that eligible women do not have to pay €80 for each day in an acute hospital as an in-patient.
