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Hospital Waiting Lists

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 July 2021

Tuesday, 27 July 2021

Ceisteanna (2751, 2752, 2753, 2754, 2757)

Rose Conway-Walsh

Ceist:

2751. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting on lists as both inpatients and outpatients for Mayo University Hospital; the average wait time; the number waiting more than one, two, three and four years, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39003/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Rose Conway-Walsh

Ceist:

2752. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health the wait time for outpatient appointments at Mayo University Hospital and University Hospital Galway, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39004/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Rose Conway-Walsh

Ceist:

2753. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health the number of children on the waiting list to see a paediatrician in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39005/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Rose Conway-Walsh

Ceist:

2754. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health the number of children awaiting an outpatient appointment at Mayo University Hospital and University Hospital Galway; the comparison to the same period in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39006/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Rose Conway-Walsh

Ceist:

2757. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health the number of children on the waiting list to see a paediatrician on a county basis and the duration of time waiting in three-month blocks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39009/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 2751 to 2754, inclusive, and 2757 together.

It is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted in the last sixteen months as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic and more recently as a result of the ransomware attack.

While significant progress was made in reducing waiting times from June 2020 onwards, the surge in Covid-19 cases in the first quarter of 2021, and the resultant curtailment of acute hospital services, is reflected in the most recently available waiting list figures to 13th May 2021.

On 23 March 2021 the HSE published the “Safe Return to Health Services Plan”, outlining a three phased approach for the proposed restoration of services across Community Services, Acute Hospital Operations, Cancer Services and Screening Services. It sets target times for their safe return and details the conditions and challenges that will have to be met. However, the implementation of this plan was suspended pending the resolution of the recent ransomware attack, which had a significant impact on acute hospitals.  

The HSE has been working since 14th May last to recover the effects of the cyber attack on its systems. The HSE advise that at present most systems are operational and services are returning to normal activity. There is a challenge in back entering data and there are still a number of areas of ongoing concern. The HSE was already seeking to recover from the Covid peak in the first quarter of this year and the ransomware attack has delayed this and had the effect of increasing access delays for services. My Department  does not have full access to information on the impact of this ransomware attack on elective waiting lists but will provide an update as soon as one is available.

An additional €240 million has been provided in Budget 2021 for an access to care fund, €210m of which has been allocated to the HSE and a further €30m to the NTPF. This is to be used to fund additional capacity to address the shortfall arising as a result of infection control measures taken in the context of COVID-19, as well as addressing backlogs in waiting lists.

My Department, the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) are currently working on a Multiannual Waiting List Plan to address waiting lists and bring them in line with Sláintecare targets over the coming years.

Due to the ongoing IT issues triggered by the HSE cyber-attack, the NTPF has been unable to receive weekly national hospital waiting list data or downloads. The latest published waiting list information was collated by the NTPF on 13th May 2021.

The NTPF has advised that the health system does not collect the data necessary to calculate average wait times.  In particular, the time to treatment of patients who have already received their care is not collected.  The NTPF collects data on patients currently on the waiting list and the average time that these patients have been waiting is provided here.

The information requested by the Deputy is outlined in the attached documents. This information includes

- The number of children on the waiting list to see a paediatrician on a county basis and the duration of time waiting in three month blocks.

- The number of children awaiting an outpatient appointment at Mayo University Hospital and University Hospital Galway; the comparison to the same period in 2019.

- The number of children on the waiting list to see a paediatrician in County Mayo.

- The wait time for outpatient appointments at Mayo University Hospital and University Hospital Galway.

-The number of persons waiting on lists as both inpatients and outpatients for Mayo University Hospital; the average wait time; the number waiting more than one, two, three and four years.

Children Waiting for an Outpatient Appointment in Mayo and Galway University Hospitals 2019 v 2021

Sum of Total

Column Labels

Row Labels

30/05/2019

13/05/2021

Galway University Hospitals

4589

4870

Mayo University Hospital

1540

1522

Grand Total

6129

6392

Total OP Paediatric Waiters for a Paediatric Consultant by Area of Residence by Wait Time Band as at 13/05/2021

Sum of Total

Column Labels

Row Labels

 0-3 Months

 3-6 Months

 6-9 Months

 9-12 Months

12-15 Months

15-18 Months

18 Months +

Grand Total

Carlow

208

81

71

45

30

20

104

559

Cavan

203

105

62

37

26

44

108

585

Clare

126

84

48

24

21

19

17

339

Cork

981

495

313

182

159

198

301

2629

Donegal

414

226

141

68

39

33

66

987

Dublin

4375

2564

2065

1184

1049

1378

5546

18161

Exception

188

88

67

39

26

21

118

547

Galway

481

359

198

100

117

78

153

1486

Kerry

253

130

97

66

54

70

70

740

Kildare

770

387

326

219

179

188

867

2936

Kilkenny

209

71

46

30

25

17

61

459

Laois

232

132

102

74

60

55

161

816

Leitrim

62

33

29

21

15

10

23

193

Limerick

267

159

101

37

34

26

35

659

Longford

120

54

28

9

12

17

59

299

Louth

419

293

243

118

103

142

309

1627

Mayo

250

136

41

35

16

17

43

538

Meath

612

399

335

183

129

155

559

2372

Monaghan

142

74

57

37

36

34

78

458

Offaly

170

88

73

59

33

30

93

546

Roscommon

128

95

40

26

24

18

42

373

Sligo

173

90

86

51

48

43

52

543

Tipperary

282

142

119

39

27

24

55

688

Waterford

241

151

104

59

63

50

65

733

Westmeath

225

108

94

54

35

43

126

685

Wexford

409

201

96

49

52

37

167

1011

Wicklow

438

248

185

122

86

105

496

1680

Grand Total

12378

6993

5167

2967

2498

2872

9774

42649

Mayo University Hospital Outpatient Waiting List

 0-3Months

 3-6Months

 6-9Months

 9-12Months

12-15Months

15-18Months

18-21Months

21-24Months

24-36Months

36-48Months

48+Months

Grand Total

2367

1858

1742

1228

955

821

620

589

1823

932

1016

13951

Galway University Hospital Outpatient Waiting List

 0-3Months

 3-6Months

 6-9Months

 9-12Months

12-15Months

15-18Months

18-21Months

21-24Months

24-36Months

36-48Months

48+Months

Grand Total

11140

7254

6737

4656

3359

4497

4014

3165

7053

2780

1188

55843

OP Waiters in Mayo University Hospital as of 13/5/2021

Sum of Amount

Column Labels

Row Labels

< 1 year

< 2 years

< 3 years

< 4 years

4+ years

Small Volume TimeBands

Grand Total

General Medicine

1675

914

485

289

124

3487

General Surgery

1939

809

302

3050

Geriatric Medicine

89

89

Gynaecology

588

9

597

Nephrology

61

30

29

31

29

180

Orthopaedics

1792

418

113

70

2393

Otolaryngology (ENT)

470

560

634

343

630

2637

Paediatrics

289

289

Small Volume Specialties

6

6

Urology

107

79

54

69

91

400

Mean NumDays:

531

Median NumDays:

342

Question No. 2752 answered with Question No. 2751.
Question No. 2753 answered with Question No. 2751.
Question No. 2754 answered with Question No. 2751.
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