Mr. John Connaghan:

The Deputy asked about waiting list calculations and planning. These plans are based on the concept of additionality or what extra we can feasibly put into the system. That is where NTPF comes in because it is funded to create that additionality over and above what the Irish healthcare system can provide.

On the audits of the flow of patients through the system, several initiatives are under way in various parts of the country. Such work is very well clinically supported, particularly in places such as Galway, Cork and some Dublin hospitals. It might be of interest to the Deputy that in several past committees Deputies asked about how to spread best practice throughout the system, which underlies much of Deputy Durkan's question. We very recently compiled a best practice guide which takes the best of what we do in the Irish healthcare system. It is now available to all. If something is working well in Clonmel, for example, the rest of the country should be able to learn from that. We have published a directory of best practice for the first time. It contains more than 300 current examples. It surprised me that we were able to gather so many in such a short space of time. It is available on our website for all staff. In 2019 we will be considering what we can do to support the spread of such good practices using some of the additional funds we have been allocated as part of the national service plan.