Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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24. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to reduce waiting lists for ophthalmology treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17006/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Improving waiting times for hospital procedures is a key commitment in the Programme for Government and in 2018 €50 million was allocated to the NTPF to provide treatment for patients. The recently launched Inpatient/Day Case Action Plan outlines the combined impact of HSE and NTPF activity in 2018 to reduce the number of patients waiting for treatment to below 70,000 in 2018. This plan marks a very important milestone in delivering on this commitment.

In 2018 the NTPF will outsource 20,000 inpatient day cases, while the HSE will deliver 1.14 million hospital operations or procedures This will mean that by the end of 2018 we will expect to see a significant reduction in the number waiting for a procedure to under 70,000 - from a peak of 86,100 in July 2017.

As part of this initiative all patients who are waiting more than 9 months for a cataract, hip and knee replacement, tonsils, Gastro Intestinal scope or one of four other high-volume treatments, and who are clinically suitable for outsourcing, will be offered treatment in 2018.

The HSE published the Report of the Primary Care Eye Services Review Group in June 2017. The Report sets out the way forward for a significant amount of eye services to be provided in a primary care setting. This will ensure that hospital services are focused on patients who require more specialist diagnostics or treatments. The recommendations of the Report are to be implemented on a phased basis subject to available resources.