Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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24. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on inpatient and day case waiting times at Waterford University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43012/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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University Hospital Waterford (UHW) achieved the requirement to reduce the Inpatient / Daycase waiting times to 18 months by the end of June 2015. This reduced, by 109, the number of patients waiting longer than 18 months for procedures. UHW has plans in place to reduce the longest waiting times to 15 months by the end of December 2015 which will address Ophthalmology, Gynaecology, Orthopaedics, ENT, Pain and General Surgery waiting lists.

As of 27 November 2015, there were 4,621 adults and 386 children on the UHW inpatient/daycase waiting list. Of these, 454 patients are on the waiting list longer than 15 months. The largest number of patients are on the ophthalmology inpatient/daycase lists which mainly consists of patients waiting for cataract surgery. The plan currently being implemented for these ophthalmic patients includes:

- the treatment of patients in routinely available hospital and theatre sessions;

- the provision of additional weekend sessions between now and the end of the year;

- the outsourcing of the balance of patients in order to reduce waiting times to a maximum of 15 months by the end of the year.

The hospital is also in the process of reopening theatre sessions that were closed for cost containment purposes in 2011/2012.