John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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363. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 320 of 22 May 2018, if he has received the report requested from the HSE regarding access to scans at University Hospital Kerry; if so, the outcome of the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27653/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The HSE has reported to the Minister on the issues raised, advising that all safety incidents, both clinical and non-clinical, must be notified through the process outlined in the HSE’s Safety Incident Management Policy. It has advised that, while incident forms were received by the Risk Management Department at University Hospital Kerry (UHK) in relation to delayed scans, following investigation of each by the Risk Management Department, none were found to have caused any patient harm.  Therefore, none were brought to the attention of hospital management in UHK for actioning.

I have been further advised that management in UHK has been working with radiologists in the hospital to develop a pathway to assign patients for scans in a manner that is consistent with HSE protocols relating to fair and equitable access to treatment for public and private patients, based on patient acuity.

In addition, the HSE has advised that a transparent, fair and equitable pathway has also been developed for GP referrals for ultrasound scans, which are non-urgent/routine, and for urgent cases, which are dealt with through the Emergency Department or AMAU if required.

In relation to the prioritisation used when scheduling patients for appointments, the HSE has adopted a National Waiting List Management Policy, which sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists. This policy was developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. The HSE has confirmed that it is satisfied that patients are assigned for scans in UHK in a manner that is consistent with HSE protocols relating to fair and equitable access to treatment.