Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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251. To ask the Minister for Health the current waiting list for the chronic pain clinic in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin; the number of persons currently waiting to access the service; the average length of time persons have to wait to access this service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40205/13]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Improving access to outpatient services is a key priority for the Government. Collaborating with individual hospitals, the SDU, together with the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) and the HSE, has developed the outpatient waiting list minimum dataset. This allows data to be submitted to the NTPF from hospitals on a weekly basis and, for the first time, outpatient data is available on www.ntpf.ie. For 2013, a maximum waiting time target has been set of 12 months for a first time consultant-led outpatient appointment and this is reflected in the HSE service plan. The SDU and the NTPF will work closely with hospitals towards achievement of the maximum waiting time.

Should a patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he or she would be in the best position to take the matter up with the consultant and hospital involved. In relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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252. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding a hip replacement in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40209/13]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2013, has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has been adopted by the HSE, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists.

In relation to this particular query raised by the Deputy, I have asked the Health Service Executive to investigate the situation and respond directly to the Deputy in this matter.