Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 860: To ask the Minister for Health the difference between the methodologies for calculating the length of time patients are waiting for more than 12 months using the maximum waiting time target versus the method used prior to July; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41050/11]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 861: To ask the Minister for Health the difference between the methodologies for calculating the length of time patients are waiting for more than 12 months using the maximum waiting time target versus the method used prior to July; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41051/11]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 862: To ask the Minister for Health the number of patients who are waiting for more than one year for surgery in each hospital according to the Health Service Executive methodology of calculating waiting lists in tabular form; the same figure for this time last year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41052/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 860 to 862, inclusive, together.

In July of this year I requested that public hospitals ensure that, by the end of 2011, they have no patients waiting more than 12 months for treatment. In order to achieve this target a new calculation methodology was introduced, the new method is described as the 'Maximum Waiting Time Target'. The NTPF working on behalf of the Special Delivery Unit was first tasked with creating a comprehensive list of those persons - who if not treated - would be waiting for over 12 months by the 31st of December 2011.

The creation of such a list therefore had to effectively search into the future to estimate the number of people that might require treatment. In July of this year the NTPF established the list by ascertaining all the names of people who had been listed for treatment on or before the 31st of December 2010. The list contained approximately 14,000 names. It is clear that that data base had to include ALL of the patients who would have reached or exceeded a 12 month target on the 31st of December 2011. This list is referred to as the Primary Targeting List (PTL)

This explains why the list being operated by the NTPF for the SDU is calculated on a different basis to the list offered by the HSE in its performance reports. The HSE list, also compiled by the NTPF, is a snapshot and relates to those who had already been waiting longer than 12 months on a specific day.

The number of patients who are waiting for more than one year for surgery in each hospital now and this time last year are set out in the table below. The figures are from the Patient Treatment Register and show the numbers of patients waiting 12 months or more as of 30th December 2011. Forty one hospitals reached this target with 2 hospitals (University College Hospital Galway and Merlin Park) failing to do so. The NTPF will continue to work in 2012 to both maintain the 12 month maximum waiting time and to further reduce waiting times by the end of 2012.