Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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23. To ask the Minister for Health the way waiting times for children inpatient day cases at Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore, County Offaly, may be improved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2399/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Latest available paediatric waiting list figures for the Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore indicate that a total of 305 children are waiting for in-patient treatment and 246 patients are waiting for daycase procedures. Of those awaiting in-patient treatment, 183 have been waiting longer than the 20 week target and, of these, 21 have been waiting longer than a year. Of those awaiting daycase treatment, 124 have been waiting longer than 20 weeks and of these, 13 have been waiting longer than 12 months.

Targeting 'long waiters' for treatment is a key priority for me. My Department is working with the HSE to put in place a plan to achieve this. Rigorous waiting list management is critical to success. In terms of improving elective access, the focus in 2015 will be on adherence to the NTPF guidelines in relation to the scheduling of patients for surgery, chronological scheduling, which will be monitored and reported in 2015 and increasing day case surgery rates for specific procedures.