Jerry Buttimer (Cork South-Central, Fine Gael)

I join the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach in welcoming the Deputy's kids, Aisling, Erin and Caolán, to the House. I thank the Deputy for raising the important matter of Beaumont hospital and in congratulating and thanking the staff of Beaumont hospital on International Workers' Day for the work they do. I do not have the answers to some of the questions raised. However, if the Deputy supplies the details, I will pass them onto the Department and get an answer for him.

I welcome the opportunity, on behalf of the Minister, to recognise that waiting times for many scheduled appointments and procedures are too long, not only in Beaumont hospital but in hospitals throughout the country, and that many patients are waiting an unacceptably long time for care. The Government is focused on having a public healthcare service in which everyone has timely access to high-quality, scheduled care where and when they need it. The Department of Health continues to work with the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, to identify ways to improve access to care. On 12 February this year, the Minister for Health published the waiting list action plan for 2025, representing the Government’s commitment to reducing waiting times for patients and improving access to hospital care.

In keeping with this commitment, significant funding of €420 million was allocated to the waiting list action plan for 2025, with €190 million for the HSE and €230 million for the NTPF. With the 2025 plan, we will continue to build on the progress delivered to date under the multi-annual action plan approach. The most recent waiting list figures, published by the NTPF for March, show an increase in waiting list volumes in the year to date. The delivery of elective care in the early months of the year is always impacted by the winter surge in demand for unscheduled care and because of elevated levels of respiratory illness circulating. However, we are starting to see signs of stabilisation in April and expect to see the volume growth mitigated over the coming weeks. The national trends are reflected in the figures specific to Beaumont hospital. At 40,556, the number of patients waiting for an outpatient appointment has increased by 5% since December 2024. In the same period, the number of patients waiting for an inpatient or day-case procedure has increased by 10% to 9,455 and the number waiting for a GI scope has increased by 30% to 1,583.

However, as the Minister has consistently said, what is much more important than the numbers waiting, is the length of time these people are waiting for treatment. There is a more positive position here, with 91% of outpatients, 82% of inpatients and 99% of those awaiting a GI scope waiting 12 months or less.

The Government is committed to the ongoing development of acute hospital infrastructure, and since 2020 significant resources have been invested in Beaumont to meet the need of patients. The hospital budget for 2024 was €504 million, a 29% increase in just four years. Staffing at the hospital has grown by 13% since January 2020. This includes 257 more nurses and midwives, 75 more medical and dental staff, and 37 more health and social care professionals. Under its hospital bed expansion plan a total of 289 new and replacement beds will be delivered by 2031.

Ireland’s acute hospitals are treating more patients than ever before. The latest activity report published by the HSE outlined that there were approximately 3.9 million outpatients and 1.9 million inpatient or day case procedure, IPDC, attendances during the full year of 2024. In comparison with the levels of activity delivered in 2023, these figures represent increases of 9% for outpatient departments, OPDs, and 5% for IPDC activity. In Beaumont, outpatients attendances increased by close to 12% and IPDC by almost 3% between 2023 and 2024.

In addition to this planned care, our hospitals also treated approximately 1.8 million patients during this same period in emergency care, which represents a 9% increase on the full year 2023 and reflects the continuing demands on our hospitals. With increased investment across the public hospital system and through the 2025 waiting list action plan, the Department of Health, the HSE and the NTPF are taking the next steps in progressing the multi-annual approach towards achieving this Government’s vision of a public healthcare service where everyone has timely and transparent access to high-quality scheduled care services, where and when they need them.

I note the Deputy's remarks about Margaret and the BreastCheck waiting lists. If the Deputy has the details and wishes me to bring them back to the Department, I will do so.

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