Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 March 2022
904. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the €200 million provided to the HSE to address waiting lists and waiting times for acute and community services that was due to be finalised by year end 2021; if it has been finalised; the breakdown of allocation by service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14302/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2022 Waiting List Action Plan was launched on 25 February this year following extensive consultation between the Department of Health, the HSE and the NTPF (National Treatment Purchase Fund). The Plan allocates €350 million to the HSE and NTPF to reduce active waiting lists for acute scheduled care by 18% this year, which will bring the number of people waiting to their lowest point in five years.
The Plan has a dual focus of delivering immediate activity to reduce waiting lists and progress towards achieving maximum waiting time targets, and laying the foundations for longer-term reforms.
The €350 million includes:
- Existing funding of €100 million allocated to the NTPF for 2022 plus an additional funding of €50 million, providing it with a total budget of €150 million for the year. With this funding, NTPF activity is projected to remove 273,000 patients from waiting lists.
- €152 million has been allocated to fund additional activity in 2022 within the private and public system, including €15 million to the priority areas of gynaecology, paediatric orthopaedics (with a specific focus on spinal surgery) and bariatric/obesity treatments, and €20 million for initiatives that will reduce specific community care waiting lists (including orthodontics, primary care child psychology/counselling, CAMHS and autism).
- The remaining €48 million will be allocated to specific acute scheduled care reform initiatives, such as modernising care pathways, and enhancing and improving data and information.
Further details are contained within the published Plan: www.gov.ie/en/publication/323b5-the-2022-waiting-list-action-plan/.
