Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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209. To ask the Minister for Health the costs that would be associated with carrying out a feasibility study on a new and single integrated hospital waiting list management system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12291/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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This Government is committed to reducing waiting times for patients, both for patients waiting for inpatient and daycase procedures and for outpatient appointments. It is unacceptable for people to have to wait excessively long periods for necessary care.

In order to reduce this burden for patients and to ensure that best practice is applied in how waiting lists are managed, I am open to evaluating new approaches to waiting list management in our health service. I agree that greater integration of hospital waiting list management systems is a step in the right direction and IT can play a significant role in underpinning these integrated approaches.

On this basis, on 15th February during a Private Members Business debate in the Seanad regarding waiting lists, I committed to asking the NTPF to examine the feasibility of progressing to a more integrated approach to waiting list management at Hospital Group level.

Following on from that debate, on 23rd February, officials from my Department wrote to the NTPF to request that it establish and lead a project team of relevant experts and stakeholders to conduct a feasibility study regarding integrated approaches to waiting list management at Hospital Group level. The NTPF is in the process of scoping out the structure and format of this study and I expect to receive a preliminary plan in the coming weeks. This feasibility study will be carried out within existing resources.

The NTPF has been asked to report to me within six months, and on finalisation of that report I expect that it will be published.