Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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95. To ask the Minister for Health the reason for the 162% increase in inpatient and day case waiting lists in Sligo University Hospital since April 2014, significantly ahead of the national average increase of 57%. [38028/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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This Government is committed to improving waiting times for patients. While recognising that demand for hospital inpatient and day case activity nationally has increased by 4% year on year to end October, the important issue for patients is how long they wait.

Under the HSE Service Plan 2016 targets, 95% of people should be waiting less than 15 months for their inpatient or day-case appointment. The latest NTPF inpatient/day-case waiting list figures indicate that the total number of people on that list for Sligo University Hospital is 3,147 and that the hospital is meeting the 15 month target in respect of 97% of people. Based on the HSE Performance Reports, inpatient discharges have increased by 5.5% since the end of 2013 at the hospital.

In August, I asked the HSE to develop a Waiting List Action Plan for 2016 to reduce by year end the number of patients waiting over 18 months on the inpatient/day-case waiting list. Since then, approximately 6,500 patients have been removed from the waiting list. Additional funding of €11.25 million has been allocated under the Winter Initiative in order to support patient treatment under this Action Plan.

Budget 2017 provides for the treatment of our longest-waiting patients. €20 million is being allocated to the NTPF in 2017, rising to €55 million in 2018. Planning of these initiatives is currently being finalised. I will shortly be asking the HSE to develop a Waiting List Action Plan for 2017 working collaboratively with the NTPF to address inpatient, day-case and outpatient waiting times.