Written answers

Wednesday, 20 April 2016

Department of Health

Hospital Waiting Lists

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

355. To ask the Minister for Health the degree to which waiting times can be reduced for elective procedures in hospitals throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7713/16]

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Improving waiting times for scheduled care for patients is a key priority. In January 2015, I put in place maximum permissible waiting times for inpatient and day case treatment and outpatient appointments of 18 months by 30 Jun 2015 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 by maximising capacity across public and voluntary hospitals as well as outsourcing activity where the capacity is not available to meet patient needs. HSE figures for end December 2015 show positive progress against the 15 months maximum wait time. For in-patient and day case waiting lists, overall performance equates to 95% achievement of the 15 month maximum permissible wait time and for outpatient waiting lists, overall performance equates to 93% achievement of the 15 month maximum permissible wait time.

This year, the HSE will focus on a number of activities to manage patient waiting times, including:

- ensuring that chronological scheduling is adhered to;

- putting in place administrative and clinical validation procedures to ensure that patients are available for treatment;

- relocating high-volume low complexity surgeries to smaller hospitals;

- outsourcing a percentage of patients where there is limited capacity to treat them in the public system; and

- designating an improvement lead for each hospital group, to provide support in meeting national targets for appointments and treatment.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.