Ms Anne O'Brien:

It has been raised already, but there are challenges in terms of the primary care waiting list. A question was asked about protocol development. Those physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists operating in primary care centres and out of primary care centres are servicing those primary care waiting lists, with CDNTs serving children with more complex needs from the disability services. There are two sets of waiting lists and there are challenges there. On the programmatic approach being taken to that, there are challenges. There has been a programme of work established between the Department and the HSE, with a dedicated governance arrangement looking at various work streams, including: a protocol development; a waiting list management protocol development; and long waiters, namely the people who on those waiting lists for primary care therapies for a very long time. It is also looking at productivity and how resources are being used within primary care. It is a significant piece of work. Some elements of it will be delivered in the short term and some, such as the protocol development that is being supported by the evidence for policy programme, in the longer term. That is a collaboration between the Health Research Board and the Department, putting in place a research team to look at best practice for developing a waiting list management protocol and really driving more timely access to primary care therapy services.