Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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482. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons on the Cork University Maternity Hospital gynaecological waiting list who have been receiving treatment through the National Treatment Purchase Fund since its introduction; and the amount of reduction in the waiting list as a result. [23273/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I acknowledge that waiting times are often unacceptably long and I am conscious of the impact of this on people’s lives.

Reducing waiting times for the longest waiting patients is one of this Government's key priorities. Consequently, Budget 2017 allocated €20 million to the NTPF, rising to €55 million in 2018.

In December 2016, I granted approval to the NTPF for the first tranche of funding in the region of €5 million for a waiting list initiative with the aim of ensuring that in excess of 2,000 patients waiting more than 18 months for a daycase procedure will have received an appointment for their procedure by 30 June 2017.

The necessary tendering work commenced at the end of last year and has now been finalised with contracts signed with all successful applicants. The NTPF has advised that the Initiative has commenced and patients are currently receiving their appointments.

In order to reduce the numbers of long-waiting patients, I asked the HSE to develop Waiting List Action Plans for 2017 in the areas of Inpatient/Daycase, Scoliosis and Outpatient Services. These plans have now been finalised and will be communicated shortly. The Inpatient Daycase Waiting List Action Plan includes a targeted initiative for Cork University Maternity Hospital to address long-waiting Gynaecology patients in the South/South West Hospital Group.

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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483. To ask the Minister for Health the measures he is planning to take to reduce the ophthalmology outpatient waiting list in Cork. [23274/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I acknowledge that Ophthalmology waiting times in the South/South West Hospital Group (SSWHG) are often unacceptably long and am conscious of the impact of this on people’s lives.

Reducing waiting times for the longest waiting patients is one of this Government's key priorities. Consequently, Budget 2017 allocated €20 million to the NTPF, rising to €55 million in 2018.

In December 2016, I granted approval to the NTPF to dedicate €5 million to a daycase waiting list initiative with the aim of ensuring that no patient will be waiting more than 18 months for a daycase procedure by 30 June 2017. In excess of 2,000 daycases will be managed through this process and patients are already receiving appointments. Long-waiting Ophthalmology patients are a core group who will receive treatment under this initiative.

In order to reduce the numbers of long-waiting patients, I asked the HSE to develop Waiting List Action Plans for 2017 in the areas of Inpatient/Daycase, Scoliosis and Outpatient Services. These plans have now been finalised and will be communicated shortly.

The HSE is currently finalising the Report of the Primary Care Eye Services Review, which aims to reorganise primary eye-care services with an increased emphasis on maximising delivery of a comprehensive service in primary care, thereby creating capacity in hospitals to provide more complex Ophthalmology services.

In addition, the HSE has advised that the SSWHG is currently examining solutions in relation to Ophthalmology services across the Group, including increasing the number of ophthalmic physicians in the Group, which will have a positive impact on Ophthalmic Outpatient services.