Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Health his views on the fact that latest figures show that there are more than 340,000 persons waiting for an outpatient appointment to see a specialist or have a test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41161/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The draft HSE July Performance Report was received in my Department on 7 September last. The figure reported therein of 339,441 patients waiting for an outpatient appointment is not new; the HSE May Performance Report showed a figure of 342,665 patients waiting for an outpatient appointment, while the HSE June Performance Report showed a figure of 361,795 patients waiting.

Representatives of the SDU held a media briefing for health correspondents on 21 June last, at which they outlined this new approach to the collection of outpatient waiting time data and indicated that when up and running, the new system would be likely to show approximately 350,000 patients waiting for an appointment. This is broadly in line with the figures currently being reported by the HSE.

While the figures are unacceptably high, it is important to emphasise that the reported increase since April is not due to a sudden large increase in the numbers waiting, but rather to more accurate data which present a more comprehensive picture of the problem. The problem of outpatient waiting lists is not new - what has changed is the level of information which we are collecting and putting into the public domain about them. Under the previous government the scale of outpatient waiting lists was not measured.

Together with the NTPF, the Special Delivery Unit (SDU) in my Department will shortly begin the systematic collection of waiting time data at an individual patient level in a standardised format from all hospitals providing a consultant-led hospital outpatient service, and will shortly take over the reporting of outpatient waiting time data from the HSE.