Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 493: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number on the waiting list under the National Treatment Purchase Fund in respect of Tallaght Hospital; the waiting time for treatment under this scheme at Tallaght; the plans she has to reduce waiting times; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30247/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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My Department has made enquiries with the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) and has been advised that there are currently 1,879 patients waiting over 3 months for either medical or surgical treatment in Tallaght Hospital. By no means have all of these patients been referred to the NTPF; 637 have been waiting between 3 and 6 months; 1006 between 6 and 12 months; and 236 longer than 12 months. The total number waiting for surgery is 964.

The primary remit of the NTPF is to facilitate treatment for those public patients who are waiting longest on waiting lists for elective surgery. The NTPF has therefore requested Tallaght Hospital to expedite referral to the Fund of the longest waiters.

At end of 2007, NTPF indicated that, nationally, a total of 4,638 or 26% of surgical patients were waiting for over 12 months for their procedures. Many of these were day cases. Over half of adult patients waiting more than 12 months are on the waiting lists of four hospitals. I asked the NTPF to give urgent attention to the position in these hospitals in 2008 and it is doing so. I am pleased to say that the position is improving gradually, with 1,837 persons in this category at the end of July 2008, and I look forward to a continuation of this trend.