John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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313. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons who received treatment under the National Treatment Purchase Fund in 2017 and to date in 2018, by category of treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19056/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The information sought by the Deputy has been requested from the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF). Due to the level of detail required this information is currently being collated.

A response will issue directly to the Deputy as soon as the information is made available from the NTPF.

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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314. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 396 of 24 April 2018, if it is anticipated that the rate of treatment received by patients through the National Treatment Purchase Fund will continue for the remainder of 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19057/18]

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.

Taking account of both NTPF and HSE activity in 2018 and depending on, inter alia, the level of patient demand, the Action Plan 2018 projects that:

- the number of patients waiting longer than 9 months will fall from 22,500 at end 2017 to 12,500 at the end of 2018.

- for high volume procedures, all clinically suitable patients waiting more than 9 months will be offered treatment in 2018

- the number of patients waiting for GI scopes will fall from 17,600 at the end of 2017 to 16,150 at the end of 2018

In all cases, the appropriate care pathway of an individual patient remains a decision for their treating clinician.

Progress against these targets will be reported upon by the NTPF and HSE throughout the year.