Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 99: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on the proposals from a society (details supplied) which contain a number of practical measures to reduce the time public patients have to wait for colonoscopies, which include running clinics in the evenings and at weekends and employing extra expert staff; her further views on whether waiting times of up to nine months are acceptable; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45485/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Patients who require colonoscopies are prioritised on the basis of information about their symptoms provided by their GP. Those where cancer is suspected are dealt with on an urgent basis. Accordingly, longer waiting times apply only to patients in which an urgent clinical need has not been identified by their GP.

Waiting times for colonoscopies have improved in the last 12 months but I accept there is need for further improvement. In the year to November 2008, there has been a reduction of two thirds in the number of patients waiting for longer than 12 months, and a 31% reduction in the overall number of patients waiting longer than three months. The pattern of lengthy waiting times is confined to a small number of hospitals.

I have discussed this with the CEO of the HSE who last month instructed all hospitals where patients are waiting over three months for a colonoscopy to refer these patients to the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF). The NTPF has said that it will quickly arrange colonoscopies for patients who are referred to them and I expect to see a substantial improvement over a short period of time.

I have also informed the HSE that it will be required to report under Section 10 (2) of the Health Act 2004 on compliance with a target of 4 weeks for urgent colonoscopies from date of referral.