John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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275. To ask the Minister for Health the average waiting time for outpatients with an address in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4808/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) has advised that as of 30th December 2016 the breakdown by timebands for residents of the Wicklow area is as follows:

Reducing waiting times for the longest waiting patients is one of this Government's key priorities.

We are seeing a considerable increase in demand for health services as our population grows and ages. For example, the HSE has advised that to the end of September, there was a sustained increase in referrals for outpatient appointments, each month in the order of 10%, in comparison with the same period in 2015.

In November, the HSE launched the Strategy for the design of Integrated Outpatient Services 2016-2020. It seeks to improve waiting times for outpatient services by enhancing patient referral pathways and utilising technology to enable better planning. In the context of rolling out this Strategy, the HSE is currently developing an Outpatient Waiting List Action Plan for 2017. The plan will focus on ensuring that no patient is waiting more than 15 months on this list by the end of October 2017.

Each of the Hospital Groups is currently finalising its Operational Plan for 2017. These Plans will set out the specific actions to be implemented this year to address waiting lists, including outpatient waiting lists. These specific actions will form part of the HSE's Outpatient Waiting List Action Plan.

I expect to make known the details of the HSE Outpatient Waiting List Action Plan in the coming weeks.