Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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402. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons who have been treated in the past 12 months for whom data are available, using NTPF funding, by a consultant doctor who also had persons on his or her waiting list who had been treated in the same period by a different consultant doctor using NTPF funding; the number of persons who were treated using NTPF funding by a consultant doctor working solely in private practice; the number who were treated in total; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35800/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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In the past 12 months the NTPF has only funded diagnostic gastroenterology (GI) tests for patient. These procedures are all provided in a day care setting.

Two such GI scope NTPF initiatives have taken place. One in 2015 and another is currently in progress for 2016. In total 8,388 public patients are expected to benefit from these two initiatives (2,687 in 2015 and 5,701 in 2016).

In the two GI scope initiatives referred to, a list of private hospitals were contracted to provide the GI scope tests. The agreed contract states that the same medical consultant used by the private hospital will not carry out tests if they have also referred GI scope patients from a public hospital.

The NTPF has advised that it does not collect information about employees or contractors used by those hospitals other than requiring the hospital to ensure that consultants are on the medical register and that they do not self-refer.

My Department is working with the NTPF and the HSE to develop a waiting list initiative for 2017.