Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
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53. To ask the Minister for Health his views on the waiting list for surgery for scoliosis patients in University Hospital Galway. [36585/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Improving waiting times for scheduled care for patients is a priority for the Government. In January, taking into account current pressures on acute hospital services, I put in place maximum permissible waiting times for inpatient and day case treatment and outpatient appointments of 18 months by 30 June and 15 months by year end. In June, the HSE reported a performance against the 18 month maximum waiting time of 99.6% for in-patient/day cases and 92% for out-patients.

The HSE was provided with additional funding of €51m to ensure that these maximum waiting times are achieved. The funding provided is intended to maximise capacity across public and voluntary hospitals as well as outsourcing activity where the capacity is not available to meet patient needs within the maximum allowable waiting time. It is recognised that issues of complexity and capacity adversely impact a small number of specialties, including spinal surgery for scoliosis.

The Saolta University Healthcare Group has assured my Department that the waiting list for such surgery is a high priority and that Galway University Hospital has been actively working to ensure that the necessary arrangements are in place in order to facilitate the level of complexity involved. In particular, significant progress is being made in relation to ensuring the required resources are in place in the context of bed availability, access to diagnostics, purchase of specialist spinal equipment and access to theatre. My Department is informed that the waiting list for spinal surgery at Galway University Hospital currently comprises thirteen patients, that one scoliosis patient was treated between January and May 2015 and that 3 scoliosis patients have been treated since May 2015.