John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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6. To ask the Minister for Health the action that will be taken to reduce outpatient waiting times for neurology consultations in Tallaght University Hospital where 1,276 appointments are outstanding for more than 18 months. [28194/18]

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Almost 1,300 people are awaiting neurology consultations and appointments in Tallaght University Hospital for more than 18 months. Neurology includes syndromes like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, epilepsy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD.

Given that, in the case of Parkinson's, the maximum recommended waiting time for an appointment with a neurologist is approximately six months, what action can the Minister take to deal with these waiting lists? Does he have any plans to appoint additional neurology consultants to Tallaght?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Lahart for raising this important matter. He has highlighted an issue that we need to get on top of and I think I have some news in that regard today. Improving waiting times for hospital procedures and outpatient appointments is a key commitment in the programme for Government and a key priority of mine. As the Deputy is aware, we increased the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, budget to €50 million this year. By any objective analysis, that has seen progress in the time it takes to get a hospital operation or procedure. We now need to do the same for outpatients because the outpatient waiting list is still a significant cause of concern. As a result, I recently allocated €3 million from the NTPF to fund outpatient initiatives and my Department, the HSE and the NTPF are in the process of finalising those actions. All hospital groups have been invited by the HSE and the NTPF to bring forward proposals for specific outpatient initiatives for inclusion in this action plan. This plan will support the HSE's compliance with its national service plan targets and will aim to reduce the growth in the size of outpatient lists and, similarly to what we did with inpatients last year, seek to reduce the number over a period.

Tallaght University Hospital advises me that from January to May 2018, there have been a total of 3,925 neurology outpatient attendances, an increase of 18% on the same period in 2017. In fairness to the hospital, it is certainly increasing its level of activity, up 18% on last year with regard to the number of neurology appointments. The good news is that it will take actions to reduce the outpatient waiting times. It recently held a number of improvement workshops to agree these actions and what it will do to implement them to reverse the trends in neurology. I am pleased to say that a new, on-site, general practitioner, GP, led headache clinic is due to be established in the next few weeks at Tallaght Hospital. Registrar and advanced nurse practitioner clinics in neurology will begin in the last quarter of this year. This will enable consultants to increase the numbers of new patients seen at clinics as a number of repeat appointments can be seen by advanced nurse practitioners and registrars. The hospital is also investigating the possibility of launching consultant-led clinics in Naas Hospital and transferring appropriate appointments to that service. There are three practical actions that the hospital is due to commence. The on-site GP-led headache clinic, which will commence in the next few weeks at the hospital, will be welcome to many with regard to trying to triage and reduce the number of outpatients, while one can target those awaiting a consultant appointment.

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister. There is some welcome news there. If one is suffering with motor neuron disease, multiple sclerosis, Tourette syndrome or any neuromuscular disorder and is waiting for over 18 months for an appointment with a neurologist, that is very distressing, not just for the individual but for the family. On a political point, it is worth noting, and maybe the Minister will give credit where credit is due, though it is not a cause for smiles, just realpolitik, that the Government abolished the National Treatment Purchase Fund. Fianna Fáil, in the programme for facilitating this Government, asked the Government to reinstate it. The Government has reinstated it and is now telling us that it works, and that when money follows the patient, even in the case of neurology, it works. The Minister never says that publicly, and champions the NTPF as if it was his own invention and creation. Facilitation of government comes at some little price occasionally and I think credit should be given where it is due because it is a practical intervention that makes a difference to people's lives. The people I am talking about are those suffering from these neurological disorders who need interventions. The Minister has said the NTPF works and we would like to see more of it. The Minister did not answer the question relating to the appointment of additional neurologists to Tallaght Hospital.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I like to think that I am one of the less partisan individuals here. I acknowledge that that was a key demand of the Fianna Fáil Party in establishing this minority Government. If the Deputy searches the Dáil record, I think I have acknowledged that in many questions here. I point out that in the realpolitik world, my predecessors in 2011 would have found it difficult to find any money to put into the NTPF.

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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This is 2018.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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My predecessors, when they came to Government, during the greatest financial crash, had to make horrifically difficult decisions, as did Fianna Fáil when in government, with regard to how to spend money and invest in services. I agree that the NTPF works. While the Deputy is not suggesting it, it should not be about just putting money into private hospitals. Deputy Louise O'Reilly and I have this debate regularly. That is why we spent more than a third of its budget on increasing capacity in the public health service last year. While it is not my creation, I like to think that we have tried to tweak and improve it. I agree that it works. There is an unfilled consultant appointment post in Tallaght which the hospital is actively trying to fill and has been for approximately ten months. It is important to give credit to hospitals. This is a hospital that has come up against a difficulty with regard to neurology outpatient appointments. It has come back with practical, tangible actions. I have outlined three today and hope it will see significant improvements.