Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for this question. It is an issue we often discuss and I think we are due to meet. The Government is committed to reducing waiting times for patients, both for patients waiting for inpatient and day case procedures and for outpatient appointments. It is unnecessary for people to have to wait excessively long periods for necessary care.

In order to reduce this burden for patients and to ensure that best practice is applied in how waiting lists are managed, I am open to evaluating new approaches to waiting list management in our health service. I do agree that greater integration of hospital waiting list management systems is a step in the right direction and that IT can play a significant role in underpinning these integrated approaches.

On this basis, on 15 February during a Private Members' business debate from the Deputy's own party in the Seanad regarding waiting lists, I committed to asking the NTPF to examine the feasibility of progressing to the more integrated system that Deputy O'Reilly advocates for.

Following on from that debate, on 23 February officials from my Department wrote on my behalf to the NTPF to request that it establish and lead a project team of relevant experts and stakeholders to conduct a feasibility study regarding integrated approaches to waiting list management at a hospital group level. The NTPF informs me that it is in the process of scoping out the structure and format of this study and I expect to receive the preliminary plan in the coming weeks. The NTPF has been asked to report to me within six months on the finalisation of that report, which I expect will be published.

I think Deputy O'Reilly has a view that this can be done quicker. That is usually a good guess anyway. If the Deputy would like to meet with officials from the NTPF who, as I say, are scoping the work and will present to me a preliminary plan in the coming weeks to have the work completed within six months, I will be more than happy to facilitate that.

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