Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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129. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons in counties Roscommon and Galway that are waiting for public cataract surgery in each of the years 2013 to 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form; the length of time they have been waiting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24019/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Reducing waiting time for patients for hospital operations and procedures is a key priority for the Government.

Cataract surgery is among the most common surgical procedures carried out in the Ophthalmology specialty. Through the work of the National Treatment Purchase Fund (or NTPF)and the HSE, the overall number of patients waiting for cataract surgery has fallen by 22% since July 2017, while the number of patients waiting more than 12 months has declined by 71% in the same period.

For 2018, under the Inpatient/Day Case Action Plan, all clinically suitable patients waiting for more than 9 months for a Cataract procedure will be offered treatment this year, with 5,000 NTPF funded procedures planned in both public and private hospitals.

Last year funding was allocated to provide additional capacity at the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital as a result and a cataract theatre is now operational three days per week. This year, in line with the Action Plan, the HSE is planning to open a dedicated Cataract theatre in Nenagh Hospital in July.

The information sought by the Deputy is provided in the attached tables:

IPDC Waiting List for Cataract Procedures by Area of Residence as at 31/12/2013

IPDC Waiting List for Cataract Procedures by Area of Residence as at 23/12/2014

IPDC Waiting List for Cataract Appointments by Area of Residence as at 31/12/2015

IPDC Waiting List for Cataract Appointments by Area of Residence as at 30/12/2016

IPDC Waiting List for Cataract Appointments by Area of Residence as at 29/12/2017

IPDC Waiting List for Cataract Procedures by Area of Residence as at 26/04/2018