Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 6 November 2014

Public Accounts Committee

Special Report No. 83 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Managing Elective Day Surgery

11:00 am

Dr. Tony O'Connell:

I will defer to Professor Keane in a moment, but I am sure that the people who decided which procedures would be in the 24-case basket did consider tonsillectomy to be an aspirational member of that group. It is evident from the NHS figures the Deputy cited that there is a similar disquiet across the water, where a minority, only 40%, of tonsillectomies are done as day cases. There is varying comfort with each of those 24 procedures as to whether we can achieve the goal. I ask Professor Keane to comment.