Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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145. To ask the Minister for Health further to recent media reports (details supplied) the measures he will take to ensure parity of access for persons without private health insurance awaiting tests to detect bowel cancer to ensure the strict Health Service Executive target of no person waiting more than 13 weeks for what is a vital diagnostic test is met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44452/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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It is important to be note that the HSE has in place a weekly monitoring system to ensure all patients referred for an urgent colonoscopy are seen within a 28 day target time. A policy of zero tolerance applies to any breaches.

The National Treatment Purchase Fund Board has recently commenced a GI Endoscopy Initiative, approved by the Department, which aims to complete before the end of the year. The initiative is targeting those waiting over 12 months now or before the end of December 2015 for a routine endoscope. While these waiters are largely confined to a smaller number of hospitals, the initiative aims to offer an external appointment to all patients waiting > 12 months for a routine Gastroscopy, Colonoscopy or Proctoscopy procedure.

My Department will continue to monitor HSE performance against the national targets for urgent and routine scopes.