Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 699: To ask the Minister for Health if he will arrange an appointment for an operation to be brought forward in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Offaly. [10982/12]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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As the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for a direct reply to the Deputy.

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 700: To ask the Minister for Health if he will arrange an appointment for an operation to be brought forward in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Offaly. [10983/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I am determined to address the issues which cause unacceptable delays in patients receiving treatment in our hospitals. In this regard I have established the Special Delivery Unit (SDU), which will work to unblock access to acute services by dramatically improving the flow of patients through the system, and by streamlining waiting lists, including referrals from GPs. The SDU is working closely with its partner agencies - mainly the HSE and the NTPF.

As a priority, public hospitals were instructed to ensure that, by the end of 2011, they had no patients waiting more than 12 months for treatment. I can confirm that the vast majority of hospitals achieved this objective. During 2012 the SDU will support hospitals in the delivery of a 9 month maximum wait time for inpatient or day-case surgery.

As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply. Should the patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he/she would be in the best position to take the matter up with the consultant and facility involved.