Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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415. To ask the Minister for Health the consideration that has been given to the use of email, text and so on to notify persons of appointments in circumstances in which it is possible in an effort to reduce administration costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41741/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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In order to ensure that outpatient services and the time of clinical staff, are used to best effect, it is important that the HSE progresses initiatives to reduce the number of people not presenting for outpatient appointments. Consequently, the HSE is investing in digital and technological systems to ensure that patients are appropriately reminded.

One of the solutions eHealth Ireland has proposed is to provide a standardised national patient reminder service using SMS or email. This solution has the potential to reduce the number of people who do not show up for appointments and, in addition, this allows current processes to be adapted and new procedures to be built to reallocate those appointments slots to other patients. This standardised national text reminder service project has already been initiated.

In addition, under the new Outpatient Reform Programme, the hospital system will be moving to advanced booking systems which will allow patients two choices of appointment time. This process has been shown internationally to dramatically reduce patient failure to attend.

These initiatives are being progressed in conjunction with the HSE's Outpatient Waiting List Action Plan 2017 which has commenced and is currently undergoing implementation.