Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 October 2022
753. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Health the length of time a patient has to wait for a procedure before being included in the NTPF scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50230/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Treatment Purchase Fund works with public hospitals to offer and provide funding for treatment to clinically suitable long waiting patients on an inpatient or day case waiting list.
The clinical suitability of a patient to avail of NTPF funded surgery or procedures is determined by the public hospital where the patient is on an Inpatient or Daycase waiting list.
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 National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) has advised my Department that while the NTPF this year will seek to arrange over 150 different types of procedures in public and private hospitals, covering the full range of complexity on the waiting lists, there will be a particular focus on 15 procedures which, prior to NTPF engagement, accounted for more than 50% of the inpatient/day case waiting list. For the following high volume procedures the NTPF will offer treatment for all clinically suitable patients waiting more than 6 months:
- Cataracts
– Cystoscopies
– Hip replacements
– Knee replacements
– Skin lesions (General Surgery and Plastic Surgery)
– Varicose Veins
– Angiograms
– Tonsillectomies
– Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy
– Septoplasties
– Dental
– Hysteroscopy
– Laparoscopy (Gynaecology)
– Total abdominal Hysterectomy
– Inguinal Hernia Repair.
