Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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518. To ask the Minister for Health where a patient is referred to an alternative hospital due to the referring hospital being unable to provide treatment within the maximum permissible waiting times, and where it subsequently transpires that the hospital to which the person has been referred is also unable to provide treatment, what impact such a scenario would have on the patient's ability to receive care without experiencing even further delays; the process in place to ensure that access to care is expedited for these patients; whether the existing period for which a patient has waited is taken into account and recorded should the patient be placed on another waiting list for treatment at a third and subsequent hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6797/16]

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.

If patients do not avail of appointments offered at other hospitals, then they will retain their current position on the original referring hospital's waiting list.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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519. To ask the Minister for Health when a patient (details supplied) in County Donegal is referred to another hospital, having reached the maximum permissible waiting time, and the hospital the person has been referred to cannot provide the operation, how long will this patient have to wait to have the required operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6798/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.

The National Waiting List Management Policy, 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 policy, which has been adopted by the HSE, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists.

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.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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520. To ask the Minister for Health when a patient (details supplied) in County Donegal is being referred to another hospital, having reached the maximum permissible waiting time, and the hospital the person has been referred to cannot provide the operation, how long this will patient have to wait to have the required operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6799/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.

The National Waiting List Management Policy, 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 policy, which has been adopted by the HSE, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists.

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.