Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. Obviously, I am not aware of the details of the case he has raised. In the case of Caroline – I think the Deputy said that was her name - he would want to make detailed representations on the specifics of the case to the Minister. I am not in a position to respond here and now.

The Government is committed to reducing numbers on waiting lists for scheduled care, concentrating particularly on those who are described as being a long time waiting, that is, over 18 months. The lady mentioned would fall into that category. The Minister for Health has asked the HSE to develop an action plan to deal with waiting lists, concentrating on those who have been waiting more than 18 months. The plan is to build on work under way and will be available in a few weeks time.

The HSE has also committed in the 2015 service plan to the publication of a waiting list of consultants and at specialist level and aims to reduce waiting lists by redesigning the processes and the way applications are treated. It has put in place specific measures to address waiting lists more efficiently in collaboration with acute hospitals, the special delivery unit and the National Treatment Purchase Fund They include observation of the national waiting list protocol, adherence to clinical programme guidelines and prioritising day of surgery admissions where clinically appropriate.

In the case of elective surgery, the HSE will work on implementing the recommendations made in the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report on day surgery in consultation with the national clinical programme for surgery, with specific reference to targeting increases in day surgery rates in line with best international practice. The waiting list performance will be assessed within the revised accountability framework for the HSE published as part of the service plan. New patient care pathways such as medical assessment, minor and local injury units and urgent care centres, as well as the provision of care in non-hospital settings, are increasingly being used to provide for a spectrum of care which supports the efficient use of hospital resources.

I am not in a position to comment on the details of the case of the lady mentioned-----

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