Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to answer questions about hospital waiting lists in the south east. The Minister of State knows that I rarely ever get involved in local issues. I do not wish to in any way insult the Minister for Health who is doing an excellent job, as is the Minister of State in his own role. The issues I bring to him today are issues which have national importance.

It has come to my attention that everybody on a waiting list in University Hospital Waterford received a letter from the hospital informing them that their request to be removed from the waiting list had been accepted. Even those who replied that they wished to remain on the waiting list received a second letter asking them if they wished to remain on the list. The false cleansing of the waiting list has not only confused people, but also hides the true nature of waiting lists across all categories in Waterford. We are all still reeling from the "RTE Investigates" programme on the waiting list crisis, and it is difficult to obtain accurate information. I have been told anecdotally that there are more than 6,000 people waiting for both inpatient and outpatient orthopaedic surgery alone in Waterford, with a further 5,000 plus waiting for ophthalmic procedures.

Deputy Seamus Healy has been working hard to secure urology services for University Hospital Waterford, for which the waiting period is now 48 months plus. We all know that people get seriously ill and die in shorter time periods than this and, by the hospital's own admission, "The clinical risk for the Urology Services is on the Corporate Risk register and is rated high risk".

I welcome the announcement that University Hospital Waterford is to get a mobile catheterisation laboratory for cardiac patients and the Minister of State's colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Halligan, has had much to do with that, and he is to be complimented on that. However, I regret the fact that it took extensive public and political lobbying to achieve this. Citizens should not have to lobby to get essential health care.

We are not short of money. A total of €900 million has gone into the health system this year alone but the system itself appears to be flawed beyond repair. In fact, the 2016 Euro Health Consumer Index ranked Ireland as the country with the worst waiting times in a large-scale study of 35 countries. As appalling as this statistic sounds, the fact that the quality and length of human life is at the centre of it makes it even worse. I ask that a new system be put in place to ensure that waiting lists are compiled in an accurate, accountable and highly transparent manner.

I welcome the introduction of the new national inpatient, day case, planned procedure, IDPP, waiting list management protocol and I congratulate the Minister, Deputy Harris, and the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, for the reactivation of the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF. However, I believe that it will take a very assertive and thorough root and branch overhaul of the HSE to ensure that this protocol and the NTPF will be effective.

I thank the Minister of State for giving of his time to take this time on this matter and I welcome his response specifically on the waiting lists in Waterford.

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I join the Cathaoirleach in welcoming our friends from Estonia. I hope they enjoy their visit to our Parliament and to our country. They are very welcome here.

Before I respond to Senator Craughwell's query, I wish to offer my deepest sympathy to the family of the late Peter Mathews who died today. I offer my sympathy to Susan and his family. I know Senator Craughwell will join me in paying tribute to the former Deputy Peter Mathews. He was a very kind, gentle and friendly man and a very dedicated public servant. I again offer our sympathies to the Mathews family.

I thank Senator Craughwell for raising this very important issue today. The personal stories of the people waiting for treatment broadcast in the RTE documentary a few weeks ago were deeply moving and the experiences they described are absolutely inexcusable. The NTPF published waiting list data provide an up-to-date and verified picture of patients actively waiting for a date for inpatient-day case treatment and outpatient appointments. While there has been an evolution in the way the data are gathered and presented in a move towards greater access and transparency, only data on patients actively waiting have been consistently published.

Numbers on the pre-admit list were collected on a phased basis dependent on each hospital’s ability to deliver the data. Verifiable and consistent figures across hospitals for this list became available in 2012. The NTPF started collecting planned procedures data at the end of 2013 and these became available in a consistent manner in 2014.

In the Dáil, the Minister for Health clarified that the NTPF published waiting list data has consistently not included the pre-admit and planned procedures lists. However, it is important to note that these lists have been and are widely circulated on a weekly basis to a broad range of stakeholders including hospitals, hospital groups, the Health Service Executive, HSE, and national clinical leads. Two weeks ago, the Minister for Health committed to asking the NTPF to work towards the publication of the pre-admit and planned procedures waiting lists.In this regard, the NTPF will review and advise me on the appropriate format for publication for these two different categories of patients. In the meantime, I advise Senator Craughwell that as of 31 January, 16,521 patients were waiting for inpatient and day case treatment in the Ireland East hospital group, which covers most of the south east. In addition, there were 3,980 patients on the pre-admit list and 2,925 on the planned procedures list for inpatient or day case treatment in that group. The NTPF regularly reviews its processes to ensure best practice. It has commenced a significant research project examining updated international best practice around publication models and methodologies. The Government looks forward to this work being concluded and to any actions arising from its recommendations being taken. Reducing waiting lists for the longest waiting patients is one of the Government’s key priorities. It is for this reason that €20 million was allocated to the NTPF in budget 2017, rising to €55 million in 2018. The money is going into that investment.

In December 2016, the Minister for Health granted approval to the NTPF for a day case waiting list initiative with the aim of ensuring no patient will be waiting more than 18 months by 30 June 2017. In excess of 2,000 day cases will be managed through this process and I have been advised that appointments under this initiative will be issued shortly. The HSE will also submit waiting list action plans for inpatient day case and outpatient waiting lists. The focus of these plans should be to ensure no patient is waiting more than 15 months on either list by the end of October 2017. The HSE has been requested to develop the inpatient day case waiting list action plan in conjunction with, and supported by, the NTPF's approach to the utilisation of the remaining €10 million of 2017 funding for patient treatment. These plans are being finalised and the Minister for Health expects to receive them imminently.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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That was a very comprehensive reply. I call Senator Craughwell.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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It was indeed. I thank the Minister of State for that comprehensive reply. There is just one thing he might relate back to the Minister. That is with respect to access to the National Treatment Purchase Fund. We had an advertising campaign some time ago that explained to the public how people who were on a waiting list for an extraordinarily long period of time could ask their consultant to make a recommendation for them to be taken in under the National Treatment Purchase Fund. Perhaps we could look at how to get that information back out to the public. I thank the Minister of State for taking the time to come to the House.

The Minister of State adverted to our former colleague, Mr. Peter Mathews. Peter signed my original nomination form for a by-election to the Seanad. I will forever be grateful to the man. I was deeply shocked today to hear of his of his death. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I wish to respond to some of the very important issues raised by the Senator. He mentioned the issue of flaws in the system. It is something that we have to examine very closely. I agree with him on that. Part of our plan is investment. As the Senator has seen, in the region of more than €500 million extra has gone into the health services. In my own particular area of disability services, there is extra funding available. It has increased by 6% for the 2017-2018 service plan. The issue is that we have the investment, but we cannot have it without the reform. We need the reforms to the health services. Another issue is to ensure accountability in delivering the services. I know that Senator Craughwell would agree. He raises a very important issue about access and the debate about the role of the consultants. This is something we have to highlight to the public. I will bring all the concerns that Senator Craughwell raised back to the Minister, Deputy Harris, and I hope we will have action and movements on these issues.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State. Before we suspend the House, I would also like to be associated with the expressions of sympathy to the late Mr. Peter Mathews.He was, as has been said, a gentleman and a very pleasant man, and he will be a loss to Leinster House. May the Lord have mercy on his soul.