Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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477. To ask the Minister for Health if he is satisfied that the national waiting list management protocol system with its stated waiting time of eight months as it pertains to scheduled care treatment is operating in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4877/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Government is committed to reducing numbers on waiting lists for scheduled care, with particular focus on those waiting in excess of 18 months. The HSE has already put in place specific measures to address waiting lists more efficiently in collaboration with acute hospitals, the SDU and the NTPF. These include observation of the National Waiting List Management Protocol (2014), adherence to relevant HSE National Clinical Programme guidelines and prioritising Day-of-surgery admission where clinically appropriate.

The National Waiting List Management Protocol, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2014,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 protocol, which has been adopted by the HSE, sets out the processes by which hospitals are to manage waiting lists.

The scheduling of appointments for individual patients is a matter for the hospital to which the patient has been referred taking into account his or her clinical need. 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 particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up with them.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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478. To ask the Minister for Health the measures in place to deal with waiting lists for necessary investigations and treatments; his views on an acceptable wait time for investigations where the timing of diagnosis may affect the prognosis. [4886/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.