Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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40. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to increase orthopaedic capacity for patients in the north east in view of delays in persons accessing assessments and follow-up procedures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28237/18]

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 €50 million was allocated to the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) in 2018 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. Under the Plan, the NTPF will outsource 22,000 inpatient day cases across a range of specialties, while the HSE will deliver 1.14 million hospital operations or procedures. The Action Plan places a particular focus on hip and knee replacements, and commits to offering procedures to all patients waiting more than 9 months for a hip and/or knee replacement in 2018, if clinically suitable for treatment at an outsourced facility. The NTPF will also offer treatment for a range of other orthopaedic treatments in 2018.

Under the Plan, the NTPF and HSE will also invite proposals from hospitals for waiting list initiatives. The NTPF will provide funding to the solutions proposed if appropriate. 

In response to this particular query, I have also asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you as soon as possible outlining any specific plans to increase orthopaedic capacity in the North East.