Written answers
Tuesday, 17 November 2015
Department of Health
Hospital Staff Data
Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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360. To ask the Minister for Health the number of full-time consultant gynaecologists who are assigned to Galway University Hospital and to the entire Health Service Executive west administrative area; the details of their deployment; the facilities within this area; the waiting times for appointments and procedures, other than those directly related to routine pregnancy and childbirth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39994/15]
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.
The HSE was provided with additional funding of €51m to ensure that these maximum waiting times would be 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. In order to maintain progress and to make further improvements to achieve a 15 month maxima by end December, the HSE is now fining hospitals that have breached the maximum permissible waiting time for 18 months. These fines are designed to incentivise performance.
I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on the other matters raised. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
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