Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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The gynaecological waiting times in the maternity hospital in Cork have been an issue for the past few years and I have been involved in trying to reduce the waiting list for these services. The Cork University Maternity Hospital, CUMH, which was established ten years ago, is a conglomeration of three maternity hospitals, namely, the Bon Secours maternity unit, St. Finbarr's Maternity Hospital and the Erinville Hospital. It has delivered an awful lot for the people of Cork and has been a very important part of the healthcare system in the region.

On 12 January 2017, I was at a meeting with the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, in the maternity hospital in Cork where the waiting list for gynaecological services was discussed in detail. Almost every one of the 19 consultants in the maternity hospital was present. Significant issues were debated. I acknowledge and welcome the change in governance and the significant reforms since that meeting. These are very important steps.

One of the key issues to emerge from that meeting was that waiting lists are exceptionally high. They were the longest waiting lists in the country at the time. This was unacceptable. Significant measures have been put in place since then. The hospital has leased a theatre in the Mater Private Hospital in Mahon and has outsourced to the Bon Secours Hospital on Blackrock Road and has opened theatres on a Saturday, all of which is very positive. It is the first time in the history of the State that a medical centre has opened on a Saturday to carry out this kind of procedure.

Waiting times are a big issue for the people of Cork and addressing them is the biggest issue for us. We need a sustainable long-term solution. For that to happen the second gynaecology theatre in CUMH needs to be opened. The news that has come out in the past few days that it will not open in 2018 is a major issue and needs to be addressed. A commitment was given that funding would be in place to appoint five consultants over three years. This funding is in jeopardy. I need clarity on the funding of these consultants and the opening of the second gynaecology theatre. We have the physical infrastructure. We do not have to build it or look for it. We need the consultants and the people and women in Cork need the service. To have the longest waiting list in Ireland in a brand new hospital does not do the hospital or the women of Cork any service. It is a very serious issue and if it comes down to funding we need to consider that. To have a theatre sitting idle that could solve the problem if it were staffed is a huge issue for us. I hope the Minister of State can bring some clarity to this very important issue for our part of the world. If she is not in a position to do so maybe she can get me the information. Much as I welcome the Minister of State's presence, the Minister for Health or one of the line Ministers should have been here to discuss this really important issue because it is one of the biggest health issues in the region and clarity is urgently required so that we can resolve it.

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Lombard for raising this issue today. I am taking this Commencement matter and apologise on behalf of my colleague the Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris. The Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Daly, could not be here today.

The Minister wishes to acknowledge that waiting times are often unacceptably long and he is conscious of the impact of this on people's lives. Reducing waiting times for the longest waiting patients is one of this Government's key priorities. As the Senator said, the Minister visited CUMH early last year and has seen the valuable service it provides.

Following that visit, he prioritised CUMH among the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, initiatives under last year's inpatient day case waiting list action plan. Funding of over €200,000 was drawn down by CUMH ensuring the provision of treatment to 52 patients.

In recent years, CUMH has received funding to invest in the improvement of its gynaecology services. The South/South West Hospital Group, SSWHG, committed an additional €700,000 to the service for 2017 to provide increased theatre capacity and staffing resources to deliver improved waiting times for inpatient day case treatment and outpatient appointments. In 2018, an additional €400,000 development funding has also been allocated to CUMH gynaecology services. Last year also saw the strengthening of the management, organisation and delivery of maternity, gynaecological and neonatal services following the establishment of the national women and infants health programme within the Health Service Executive, HSE. This programme is developing a plan for the provision of gynaecology services. In addition, the SSWHG, in conjunction with CUMH, has developed a phased approach to improve waiting times for its gynaecology services. This includes the establishment of the SSWHG women and children services directorate last year, which, the Minister expects, will ensure better co-ordination and utilisation of maternity gynaecological resources across the group.

The waiting list data from the NTPF for the end of April 2018 indicate that there were 410 people waiting for CUMH gynaecology inpatient services. This marks a decrease of more than 14% on the numbers waiting this time last year. The outpatient waiting list data indicate there were just over 3,600 people waiting for gynaecology services at the end of April. CUMH has seen improvements year on year with a decrease of more than 22% on the numbers waiting this time last year.

More broadly, the inpatient day case action plan 2018, which was published in April, outlines the combined impact of HSE and NTPF activity in 2018 to reduce the number of patients waiting for treatment.Under the plan, the HSE will deliver 1.14 million hospital procedures. The NTPF will deliver 20,000 inpatient day case treatments through both outsourcing and HSE insourcing. The NTPF and the HSE will invite proposals from hospitals for waiting list initiatives. The NTPF will provide funding for the solutions proposed, if appropriate.

It is clear that the infrastructure put in place for gynaecology services by the South/South West Hospital Group, together with the investment in Cork University Maternity Hospital, is starting to reap some improvements in the waiting lists. However, there is always room for further improvement. This year’s inpatient day case action plan provides the vehicle for them to engage with the NTPF to submit proposals for waiting list initiatives for both inpatient-day case and outpatient procedures.

Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for her response. As she said, there has been a reduction in the waiting lists. I went through how it has been done. Cases were outsourced to the Mater Hospital and the Bon Secours Hospital, and other initiatives were involved. More than 3,600 women are still on the waiting list. It is a frightening figure in many ways. My main concern is that a theatre sitting is there, which will not be open in 2018. The lack of the consultants and other staff required to work in that theatre is a huge issue for the people of Cork. I hope the Minister of State will talk to the Minister for Health to clarify when the theatre can open and if there is a proposal to recruit the required staff and consultants. We have the solution. We have the theatre and the infrastructure but we need the manpower and budget. We have 3,600 people waiting for that to happen.

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator again. I will undertake to talk to the Minister for Health about the opening of the theatre and the appointment of consultants and staff to operate it.