Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There are currently 686 patients waiting for knee replacement surgery at Cappagh Hospital. Some 15% of these patients, approximately 100, have been waiting between nine and 12 months and 12%, in the region of 70, have been waiting for more than a year. I met representatives from the hospital late last year to discuss the challenges it faces. In 2014, there was an increase of approximately 40% in the number of overall patient referrals. This increase in demand, coupled with a reduced budget, cessation of National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, funding, and a reduction in private income limited the availability of suitably qualified staff and this led to a reduction in surgical capability at the hospital and an increase in waiting lists. The HSE has been engaging with Cappagh Hospital on an ongoing basis in order to identity potential initiatives that would allow for a reduction in waiting times for patients for surgery. Further funding was provided in late 2014 which allowed the hospital to undertake additional workloads.

I am happy to inform the Deputy that the HSE has also provided Cappagh Hospital with additional resources - in the form of an expanded budget - for 2015 to allow for an increase in inpatient procedures. The 2015 budget allocation process has enabled the opening of closed and under-utilised capacity at Cappagh Hospital. This will enable the opening of an additional 1.5 theatres per day - bringing the total number in use to four - and will allow the authorities at the hospital to increase activity levels. The hospital will target this new capacity to significantly address its current waiting list breach volumes. The HSE will continue to engage with the hospital to explore mechanisms to ensure optimal use of resources, including theatre capacity, at the hospital within the overall resources available to the acute sector.

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