Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Curran for an important question. I agree that those waiting times are too long. What we are actually going to do about it is the most important thing. During 2016, as the Deputy knows, there has been evidence of a considerable increase in demand for health services as our population continues to grow and age. Therefore, in order to reduce the numbers of long-waiting patients, we are developing through the HSE action plans for inpatient day cases and, specifically with regard to the Deputy's question, outpatient day services, as well as the issues in paediatric scoliosis. My Department is currently reviewing these plans and I expect to be in a position to share them with Members of this House very shortly.

In addition, in November 2016, the HSE launched the Strategy for the Design of Integrated Outpatient Services 2016-2020. The HSE has significantly progressed the development of its outpatient waiting list plan. It will focus on the longest waiters first.

The three hospitals in the children's hospital group are working closely together to manage waiting times. This is quite important. They need to co-operate. They are ultimately going to be under the banner of the new national children's hospital. Specific measures include additional paediatric outpatient sessions in Tallaght Hospital that will commence later this year, an additional ear, nose and throat, ENT, clinic in Temple Street and the re-organisation of existing clinical capacity to facilitate extra outpatient clinics.

I understand that Tallaght Hospital is currently working with the children's hospital group and with the NTPF with regard to paediatrics to secure funding to outsource some of the longest waiters. The hospital has secured two consultants who will commence additional paediatric sessions from October of this year. The hospital has also confirmed that it is currently trying to source locum consultants in conjunction with Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin. If successful, these consultants will provide additional capacity until the permanent consultants come on board in October.

The hospital is currently undertaking a cross-city ENT review with the children's hospital group to look at sustainable and permanent solutions to deal with the ENT situation, which is particularly acute. A validation process is under way in Temple Street Children's University Hospital to identify patients who may be on a list but no longer require the treatment or have been treated somewhere else. This should reduce numbers and enable them to focus on those needing care. They are also due to commence an additional ENT clinic shortly, which will see approximately ten new patients per week. They are looking at the possibility of running an additional clinic which would see approximately 12 to 15 new patients a week. That will be a general paediatric clinic. They are running a rapid access clinic to see emergency GP referrals and internal referrals. There is a lot of work under way and I can share this detail with the Deputy.

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